Gunners Chance To Lay Down A Marker
Nov 5th, 2016 by 'holic
With the North London derby being put back to Sunday it has been a mixed Saturday for us. Middlesbrough, having held us at the Grove in their last away fixture, repeated the achievement at the Emptihad. That gave the bus stop in Fulham the opportunity to leapfrog Liverpool, ourselves, and Citeh, to top the table. As I type they are slaughtering Everton so we, and indeed Liverpool, will have the chance to knock them off their temporary perch.
To do so by defeating the neighbours would be doubly delicious, but this is always a tight game, right? Well, depending on who gets to play in the match I have a feeling a confident and in-form Arsenal could make a real statement in this one. Yes, I know the visitors are undefeated in the Premier League this season sparking fanciful and preposterous chat by some click baiters about being Invincible. Even they know that is laughable.
True, we have only drawn the last two home games against them, and Pochettino has done a very good job in strengthening their defence. Indeed with only five goals conceded they boast the best defensive record in the top flight. However a key component of that defence, Alderweireld, is ruled out by injury, as is key midfielder Dembele. Sadly Sissoko is suspended despite Arsenal appealing to the FA to overturn the ban.
Then there is Kane. The window licker always has a decent game against us, but they have patched him up and rushed him back from an ankle injury possibly too soon. Certainly he is not match-fit.
The Arsenal also had doubts ahead of the match but I am thinking the only significant absentee tomorrow might be Santi Cazorla. I don’t see Arsene risking rushing him back, and with the midfield options open to us does he need to? For the purposes of the ‘holic pound (wait for it!) I am hoping the other fitness tests have gone our way. That means Petr Cech should start behind a back four of Hector Bellerin, Skhodran Mustafi, Laurent Koscielny, and Nacho Monreal.
If Santi hasn’t made it then the boss has to decide who starts alongside Francis Coquelin. The deciding factor may be the potential for early yellow cards if Granit Xhaka were to be paired with the equally occasionally rash Frenchman. That would suggest Mohamed Elneny will get the nod, although there is an option of Aaron Ramsey if we are looking to out press the visitors and attack from the off in the fashion that destroyed Chelsea earlier in the season.
If Rambo isn’t offered that role it is unlikely he will start the match. The front four who have fired us to within a win of the summit should be given the chance to continue their very impressive form. That means Theo Walcott, Mesut Ozil, Alex Iwobi, and Alexis, starting. A substitutes bench including the likes of Ramsey, possibly Xhaka, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Olivier Giroud is a powerful indication of how confident we should be going into this one.
The ‘holic pound
The last time Tottenham started the season with ten matches unbeaten it was the Arsenal who lost just one match all season and romped to the 1990-91 title. An omen? Let’s hope so. I’m also praying my guess about the outcome of our fitness tests is correct, because otherwise I am about to make a huge mistake.
I haven’t felt this bullish about the NLD since those first thirteen years of Arsene’s reign when I often wrote confident posts dismissing the neighbours with disdain, knowing we would usually turn them over. I’m already on 4-0 at 40/1 and have placed a little back-up punt on 4-1 at 33/1 in case the window licker gets his customary goal.
There, I’ve placed the bets and shared them with you. There’s no going back now. Unfortunately Network Rail have ensured a number of people from the west and south of the capital will have awful journeys to make the midday kick-off. That will, hopefully, be the only bad news on the day however.
NORTH LONDON IS RED!
Have a great one ‘holics.
146 Responses to “Gunners Chance To Lay Down A Marker”
First!
First ! After tomorrow too ! ??
Drat !
Bloody hell H
4 zip and 4/1,.
I hope you are right,but form counts for nothing leading into these game as well you know.
We should win comfortably,but again that early goal is crucial.
Santi to miss the game,but i still think Granit will start,as the midfield will be a war zone,Elneny a bit light for that task.
Good luck to all going.
Blimey, O’Reilly possibly second after reading the post.
Nice one, ‘olic. I hope you are not too optimistic regarding the score. I’d be happy for a scrappy 1-0 via a distinctly dubious penalty in the 90th minute. It’s the Totts – bollocks to statements, the win’s the thing.
COYG
Get in. it is indeed a 5-pinter. It’s the North London derby, anything can happen yada yada yada but we really should hand them their asses.
#Coyg
Cheers Holic !
4-0 is my default prediction of late.
No need to change that tomorrow ??
Ah, three drinks while typing mine. Hey ho.
Will Dave heed the warnings and steer clear of this posting? Time alone will tell.
Au contraire Clive. Form meant everything in these games when Vieira, Pires, Bergkamp, and Henry were in their pomp. 🙂
I should add that my “yada yada yada” isn’t a knock at what anyone here has said or will say.
?
i dunno cent
but
hand them their asses’ll do fer me
.
fuckin yes
COME ON YOU REDS
Dave will look in P. A rare good’un he is. I tempered it a little as a result. He might take pity on me when we have Maitland-Niles at left-back, Willock on the wing, and we only scrape a one-nil with a mis-hit backpass in the seventh of five added minutes. 🙂
Fair point H
I see i finished top 4. !!
That he is, ‘H. Both a good’un and rare.
Now I come to think of it, I’ve been to two previous NLDs and we scored a hatfull at each of them, so maybe, just maybe…
COYG
Interesting!! A lot depends on who plays as you say. Midfield’s where it’s won and lost and we have next to no creativity while you have loads. I’m an eternal optimist but can’t see Spurs scoring so 0-0 it is!!
I trust we are all having Roast Spuds this Sunday lunchtime. COYR
Ireland beat the All Blacks… Cubs win ….
This anomaly in the timeline must only mean that
..we shall win the Champions League this season!!
😀 😀 😀
sorry ?
loved living tottenham
30 odd years ago
great mates
great chip shop
two great chip shops
great house parties
brilliant offy
so
my time tottingham
brilliant
experienced stuff an joy
great kindred spirit
chaos riots
county jamaica
stout
.
shite hart lane
nobody went to
no one interesting anyhoo
.
went the lily white foe
five minutes round the corner
no bother
never wore colours
never did
never have
.
.
.
interestingly
colours ?
stopped earlier today
a cop
a psni person
a poppy in his hat*
*a fuckin baseball cap type
me-lovely-now
nonsense
.
are poppies political ?
.
moooooooooooooooooooooo
.
.
70s80s here
no poppy ?
should you be lucky enough to be employed
i dunno
i’ll check
political ?
.
ask me da god rest him
apologies
uncomfortable shite i’ve trailed in on me creepers
.
?
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CA8uYJstvsc
.
?
?
Nice one Guvna. You are indeed bullish. I do very much hope that you are correct.
I’ve heard groans about Clattenberg being selected to referee this but I think that in him we do have a ref who will ensure that Wanyama’s and Dier’s thuggery will be constrained in their inevitable attempts to maim our ballplayers.
I do think we will have a scrap on our hands but we now have the grit in midfield to ensure that Mesut, Alexis and Iwobi will dance around those bruisers.
I will take any kind of win but so hope you win your longest bet.
COYR
Dave and cba on the same night. This place is ok, isn’t it?
you started it !
.
*hides behind curtains blowing snot bubbles till the fart jokes resume or commence*
Greetings from Singapore sir.
And now the star that is bath. I agree with every word. Clattenburg will remember what they did at Chelsea last season, I trust. I do have one nagging doubt about a CoqXhaka pairing. Please no, Arsene.
Fit a richt blether, cba!
How’s it hinging’ wi’ ye?
Have ye seen a quack?
Oh aj, welcome my friend. I hope you are having a magical time. ?
No star, Maestro, more black hole. Apologies that I will not manage to touch base at the usual place tomorrow as I am entertaining two retired colleagues and we have a post-match lunch engagement. I owe you a dram or two but they will be even more therapeutic as the weather turns colder. Slàinte.
That’s a very bullish preview Holic . I think we will win but it will be tighter. 2-0 is my shout. I was trying to work out how many NLDscI have been to . I used to go there in the sixties and seventies and often saw us do well. I’ve seen many at home and they always play above their station because it seems to mean a great deal to them. Ha ski threw down a big marker today and we need three points for more than local bragging rights. Mesut and Alexis will do the business for us. COYG!
o no
bath i have not
i am not proud of that
nor indeed proud bout many things
where once strode PRETEND ARROGANT BULLSHIT
now there shuffles pretend arrogant bullshit
with an intermittently sore ball
MC were supposed to put Boro to the sword.Instead they were hit by a sucker punch.The problem is MC failed to finish off the chances created.
This is what I greatly fear. The gunners will try to outpass/outplay Spurs and will leave acres of space for Kane and his merry men to exploit.
This match is great opportunity for the gunners to put a marker in the race. If the gunners fail,that shows the gunners can be frustrated bay combination of a congested md and and abrilliant goalie ,similar to what MU faced by Burnley.
Stop the show boat with side flicks/back heels etc.Then we shall see the gunners scoring freely.
aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh !!!!!!!!!!!
ye are not he !
fuck off thee !32
from me 33
ya spangly speedo bereft interloper
ye
*leads self in Smallballs commemorative tapdance*
*lies*
*remains handsome*
*conducts HANDSOME self HANDSOMEly*
and i say
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWHgcBIqdJ8
I have grown in height and girth these past few days.
Almost the perfect O now…!
6-0 holic.
A watershed..!
If the bounce of the ball goes our way it will be a breeze. But if luck goes there way it could be hard work. So fingers crossed for us finding a way to win regardless what happens. A win for the good guys will be everything, never mind the manner of it.
Congrats to the Irish for depuffing the Kiwis. There’s mass suicide going on in NZ as I write…
Thanks Chris!
All down to our kiwi coach – Schmidt is the very best in the world.
Joe
used to watch the rugby
ollie campbell wee tony ward time
won’t lie
never got it
loved it
roared at it
but
thinking back
was more an Ireland thing for me
.
ye Cork are ye or a meringue ?
well
in more edification
in the north of Ireland
rugby is played by protestants
in the south of Ireland
ru…g …….b…y
is played by big lumps o posh cunts
in jerseys with the collar up
.
.
discuss
an all-Ireland team
when that was not possible
.
.
and indeed it wasn’t
but
it was
.
just about as financially inclusive
as pound shop toblerones
cheerio
see ya at christmas
cba
ffs, listen to Bath and others who know (not me) and go and see a doc.
I’ve never seen a game of rugby, nor do I think I know anyone who has. I mean a whole game, live or on TV. In NZ you can’t avoid seeing and hearing bits cos it’s the first thing on sports news (and often on news news) every day, whether or not there’s a game on that week.
I admit that on arriving in NZ I believed the All Blacks were a Maori team, not the national side. That’s how much I knew about rugby, which I would place about 6th most popular sport in UK after football (the one where you kick the ball with the foot), cricket, golf, league and tennis, and quite possibly others. It’s what you play in winter if you’re not good enough to play football or league. And easily the most boring to watch … a bunch of muddied buffoons spending minutes on end pushing and shoving in scrums until the ref gives up and calls for the thing to be reset so they can start the pushing and shoving again till the ref blows for a penalty, and then the ball is kicked out of play so they can get to the ballet bit where one of the guys leaps to astronomical heights with the aid of another guy’s finger up his bum (that’s some incentive) … and then they all go to ground and start the pushing and shoving again, with extra rolling around on the ground this time (something called a maul) during which the ball and its progress (or lack of it) is carefully screened from the view of spectators lest they should get interested in what’s actually happening in the depths of the maul … until the ref blows for another penalty and one of them kicks the ball out of play again.
This goes on for 80 minutes with the clock regularly stopped for any reason the ref thinks fit so that most games take about 5 hours to play (or at least it feels that long). And at the end the All Blacks always win by 50+ points, which makes the whole thing utterly pointless, imo.
Except today, the first game they’ve lost in 19 games, or was it 19 years? Do I care?
Err, Chris.
So you’re not a rugby fan? You won’t like spuds’ midfield much then!
Also, get in Ireland!
We hate Totnum and we hate Totnum, we hate Totnum and we hate Totnum etc etc.
3-0 to the good guys.
UTA.
Not a rugby fan, GSD, and hate it when they call it ‘football’, as if it was remotely on a level with ‘the beautiful game’. 🙂
Cheers H!
Lets fucking hammer those utter cunts.
She wore…
the holic pound will do for me, and a stretcher for the window licker would give me an orgasm.
Like you Holic trains from darkest W. Norfolk are non existent today, just off. Gooner Kevin is driving Mal and I to Ely to make the only train which will get us to the match on time !
All will depend on the available starting 11s on both sides, dare not hope for your score Holic and think it may be something like 2-1.
COYRs
There’s a good reason why 4-0 to the Arsenal is at 40/1. Let’s hope you’re right though.
Good morning all. It’s a chilly start so proper football weather.
It’s a NLD. Not much more needed to fire up those involved. I hope we do one of two things. I hope we stuff them by at least 4. Alternatively I hope we have another Burnley with Kos punching the ball in, in the third minute of two added minutes. Can you imagine the moaning? It would just be so funny.
I hope that Xhaka plays. I also hope that Giroud plays if Theo is not fit.
Chris. All I can say is that rugby to you is very much like Ozil is. By that I mean that you really don’t know what you are missing. Fair play to the Irish. Great performance and great result.
Anyone getting there early enough for a pre match pint? Not sure I will make the after match celebrations.
Enjoy boys and girls.
Could be a historic day for the ‘Holic pound.
A 4-0 home win is a rare event in NLDs. There have been only two occurrences in the 191 games between the two clubs — Feb 1953 and Sep 1967, both at Highbury. We also had the only 0-4 away win, in May 1927 (a game in which — and here is your NLD match day trivia — our only ever Karachi-born forward scored two).
A 4-1 home win is even rarer. It has never happened, although we have won 1-4 at the other end of the Seven Sisters Road three times, in 1953, 1959 and 2010.
Chris@50: for someone who claims never to have seen a full rugby match, you exhibit a great command of the detail of the game.
Chris. Just for your info, if it goes to ground then it’s a ruck. It’s only a maul if the ball carrier is still on his feet.
Tubes are quiet. It’s still a 12 noon kick off I take it?
Right, I’m in situ. The first time I will be watching an entire Arsenal match this season (the second half vs Sunderland is all I’ve seen). And it’s against the enemy. I am excited. I’m with H- I think we’ll stuff ’em!
COYG!
Cech, Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Xhaka, Walcott, Ozil, Iwobi, Alexis
I love Ray Parlour. One of my all time favourite players. He reckons there will be a few goals today…
Come on.
I’m keen to get a look at Xhaka today. As he scores from 45 yards out.
UTA
COME ONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!
C’mon boys three points
Not got going yet, look hesitant all over the pitch
Argh, rotten finish by Iwobi. Better though.
Theo hits the bar. Lucky spuds.
What a ball, kaboom
Simmer own goal. Yeah, get in!!!!
That goal was a team effort!
😀
Wimmer. Doesn’t matter, 1-0 to the good guys.
Laboured but we are ahead at half time. Need to do better in the second period and close the match. COYG.
I like Ozil’s passion here..first up to defend Walcott after he got elbowed in the face.
Extend his contract please!
😀
BB. Agreed re Ozil.
We are playing better. And winning. I’m happy with that.
Seriously, Ray Parlour is my new favourite pundit. Keown, Smith, Dixon etc. are all painstaking in their efforts to be neutral. Ian Wright is nicely biased but does say a lot of daft things. Ray is a Gooner and talks like it, but also says sensible things. The perfect combination. I love it!
Hoping for the best @GSD!
COME ON!!!!!
Nice coverage Hector
Penalty for Spurs
Spurs are level, shit.
Not a penalty, ref looked very eager to give it. Just like Vardy’s last season.
COME ONNNNNNNNNNNN!
What a save by Cech. Could have been down by a goal.
Iwobi off please
Ramsey on for Coq.
Ref is a C…
NEVER A FOUL by KOS!!!!!
Giroud and Ox on for Iwobi and Theo.
Ref is a cunt +, Kos got the ball cleanly. No card for Wanyama.
Sanchez has been rubbish today
He’ll score now.
Fuck off, Ramsey. Hollywood Boy
Spuds wasting time….
They’re bringing on batman now…
God, Sanchez… get a grip ffs
A draw would feel like a loss, come on boys.
Has Giroud touched the ball since he came on?
Trippier(aka Batman) living up to his name…
We almost lost it there, ball hit our post.
The ref is calling everything for the spuds.
Apart from that 10 minute spell towards the end of the first half, we’ve been incredibly sloppy and slow.
Perhaps the international break has come at a good time?
Come on ffs, this has been so poor.
Fucking hell, OX. Awful
Ox is playing like shit.
We are giving the ball away so often.
COME ONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!
I’ll take a point after that performance, thought we had far too many players who never did enough and didn’t want it enough. Didn’t really get going.
Ozil and Walcott had their brief flashes but apart from them we were poor all over the pitch. Our substitutes were anonymous, apart from doing things that were mostly dreadful.
A goodish point under the circumstances, but they were poor as well and were well and truly there for the taking.
It might have been a different performance if Theo’s shot had gone in, but I doubt it
Was it the November jinx or the early noon start but we were dire in the second half. Ends 1-1.
two points dropped…
Bring on the Moaning one!
Cannot wait for that match.
A lot of chances we should have done better with in the first half. Poor second half. I don’t like to single a player out for criticism but I did think Ox helped spuds through that last 10 minutes a lot.
I thought we got stuck in across the pitch. Coq and Xhaka fought in the middle. Bellerin gave a lot. Sanchez didn’t stop, Ozil was good, kostafi were solid. No one went missing. I have no issue with our efforts. Saying we did not want it enough is not right at all to me.
I’m happy with a point!!
This was a big test of our title credentials and we definitely failed it. But never mind. Come back better after the internationals and beat Maureen.
Decent point in the end. This is a game we would have won if we had hit even close to the heights we have at times this season. But since we didn’t, well what can you say. I would like to try to describe it as “We only have ourselves to blame, but we didn’t fuck up.” or something along those lines.
I do feel disappointed but I’ve got a cold and don’t really have the energy to work myself up over a draw, spent too much energy before and during the game. So again, decent point in the end.
The subs were odd to me. I didn’t think Coq should have gone off, but he seems to have the role of He Who Must Be Subbed First in this squad, and I definitely would not have put Ramsey (a haircut in search of a role in the team) on in his place.
I would personally have taken Iwobi off and put Giroud up top for a bit. Get it wide, get the crosses in.
OX is a player who really mystifies me, I don’t know what he’s for. Apart from being another player with strange hair. Ozil is going a bit Daryl from The Walking Dead as well.
Get a fucking barber in.
One other thing. Do all Mustafi’s headers go straight up in the air, or was it something he saved up for this match? 🙂
Enjoy it Dave. Someone should.
Your Invincible season is still on!
Fair result @Dave considering the missed chances on both ends.
Looks like we’ll have to beat you chaps at your place now.
😀
The subs were not helpful. Giroud added something- we could get crosses to him, so i was happy with that one. But Rambo was wasteful. Ox was more helpful for them than us, see @111. And they unbalanced the side, never really adjusting to the pace of the game at a time we needed to push on.
It was good to see Bellerin come on strong for the last ten as he worked the right flank despite Ox and Rambo taking it in turns to pretend to be playing over there.
I felt that Sp*rs were slightly better in the 50-50s. They are quite aggressive and imposed themselves on the match more efficiently than us. (Congrats, Dave).
As for us, we risk finding ourselves 4th by the end of the afternoon.
Two points dropped, and it was deserved. Let the big attack of “meh” commence!
GSD, can’t say I enjoyed it!! BB,, as the return game is our last but one at the Old Lane I’d say it’s odds on we will mess it up!! I’d say it was a fair result overall. Some nervy stuff from both sides but I can’t criticise as I watched the game from behind the sofa.
Cynic. Re Ozil.
Wenger said this week he is a killer. When the zombie apocalypse starts get the man a crossbow and watch those walkers die!
Maybe he could practice with it during derby games? I know the idea of a ref allowing a player onto the pitch wielding a crossbow sounds far fetched. But I just watched Wanyama play his (predicted) 90 minutes of rugby without receiving a yellow, so anything is possible…
Behind the sofa Dave? Don’t worry, the zombie apocalypse has not started yet.
That’s just what Harry Kane looks like.
They definitely wanted it more and some of our players like Sanchez were off colour. Sanchez tried hard (can never be accused of lack of effort) but he was lackluster and missed a lot of passes as did others like Ox. Iwobi appeared to lack confidence and was below par. We also don’t mix it up and our game appeared predictable and lacked penetration.
In my view it was not a penalty at all and spuds were lucky to get a draw.
Liverpool is shredding Watford, 2-0 up already and will top the league tonight. Both Liverpool and Chelsea are playing terrific football and we need to up our game if are to be in the mix at the end of the season.
It was quite clear from the way Spuds set up today that they were going to be strong in the midfield and defence to shield against our menacing forward line and play on the counter. We got into the game after the first 25 minutes and finished the first half very very strongly. The own goal was a result of constant pressure exerted by us and ofcourse a fantastic delivery by Ozil. (Does he get an assist to his credit for the own goal?)
My only wish at half time was that we remain solid for the first 15 minutes of the second half and then we could really dominate them with them having to vacate spaces to come at us. But alas the penalty completely changed the game, we became over eager and they made it really scrappy denying us any sort of rhythm. I wouldn’t want to criticise anyone in particular – I thought the commitment was top notch from the entire team.
On hindsight we missed that extra gear – that perfectly well oiled machinery partly because the likes of Walcott, Nacho, Iwobi etc had missed/not played the last few games. Before that the first eleven was playing with a vintage rhythm and breathtaking speed. But that is part and parcel of a football season.
I was also surprised that Wanyama didn’t pick up a card in the game. The Koscielny yellow card was ridiculous and in general Clattenberg was show boating as usual. He tries to show off how he can pick up very small fowls and I have never really liked him as a referee even though he is highly rated. He also missed really blatant shirt pulls on our corners by the likes of Dier.
Before the game I felt that this was a game for the taking and felt quite confident like holic and most of fellow drinkers mentioned in the build up. So therefore am slightly gutted when weighed against the expectations. But on the evidence of the game itself – it’s a fair point.
Now it would be fantastic to win against the thundercunt Maureen. I don’t like the fact that it’s the first game after the break. I would have preferred it it came after a week or two when the team is back in rhythm. But well let’s just hammer them anyway. I would expect them to play a lot of crosses in that game with Ibra and Fellaini looking for headers. That’s about the only way they can probably score these days so the defence will have their aerial work cut out.
Off to the boring Inter lull…
Scousers up 0-2 and are looking to do a beat down on Watford. Klopp has them working non-stop.
Pool not playing CL… hence their team is fresh.
Probably their best chance for the league since biter(Suarez)!
😀
Two points dropped seemed like one point saved by the end. Disjointed derby performance would seem to sum it up.
Fewer than two out of five NLDs are won by the home team. by the way.
1-1. Told you.
Just on the way home now. An average game played out by two average teams. For me there was not a great deal by the way if quality on display. From the stats we only had two shots on target and one of those was an Iwobi back pass.
There was a good atmosphere inside the ground but not one of optimism. I thought we started quite sluggish and never really got going. The first real excitement came with Theo’s strike. I could not work out if he beat Lloris or that he shut shit himself at the power?? Until then we had spent a lot of the time chasing the second ball and misplacing passes.
The second half wasn’t a great deal better. The game continued to lack any real quality and ratcheted fizzled out that way. To be honest I could not see us scoring. A draw was a fair result. The fact that the goals came from an OG and a penalty probably tells you all you need to know.
We’ve ground out results in recent weeks but for me we have not been playing that well. Today was no different for me.
Two points dropped today. A point definitely gained for the spuds. You could see that by the way they celebrating at the end. I guess that tells you the difference between the two clubs.
And Manure up 0-2 via Pogba and Ibrahim. Sunday Bloody Sunday.
Key to Manure success is keeping Mourinho in the stands.
I’ve just arrived home. I thought it was a good,competitive Derby. I don’t agree they were more up for it than us but we had more players not at their best. Their midfield , central defence and full backs did well and for the second game in a row we were unable to break down a resolute defence.
Ox had a disastrous cameo and Iwobi was off the pace yet again. He doesn’t offer enough going forward and doesn’t contribute enough defensively. He will return better for the experience and it’s quite common to see this in young players. Our best players today were Coquelin and Montreal but nobody was outstanding.
I thought the penalty looked harsh from the other end but Spurs impressed me given their injuries and recent results. And deserved a point. If there is anything this side lacks it is penetration out wide on the left. Certainly we’ve played much better on many occasions this season
Interesting TTG. I thought that nacho had a shocker. Agree re Le Coq. Also thought Xhaka had a decent game.
We are always going to lack penetration if we play Sanchez up front and just hit big balls into the middle.
I think we still look shakey at times. We lacked quality where it really matters and I’m not sure that this changes with these players.
Clear penalty though I’m afraid, it was a soft challenge but a sort of schoolboy trip. The kind of thing you see in a playground, when a kid is scared of getting hurt so doesn’t tackle properly, but definitely a trip
Steve
Nacho was very solid but was facing two players every time they attacked because Iwobi gives him no cover. I agree about Xhaka I thought he had a bit of class about him in a frenetic atmosphere. I also agree we looked shaky. I’m 90% positive about Mustafi but he sometimes does silly tings like hoofing ball straight to a Tottenham playe 30 yards out under no immediate pressure. He is lack a classier version of Willie Young and I think he will develop into a good Premiership player with the occasional brainfart .
This season is ultra- competitive and the games between the top six will decide it
Cynic. So, for once it wasn’t the ref’s fault? Whisper it Very quietly. There are those in here that would have you shot for such comments.
TTG. I agree re the lack of cover. Iwobi had probably his poorest game so far. He is young. He will learn. He gave very little cover to Nacho I agree. However I also think that Nacho was not at his best today.
Mustafi is an interesting one. I think he is still very much learning his trade but can develop into a top centre half. Funny, we would not have even considered signing him if Per had not got injured.
There are two things that worry me about Mustafi. He doesn’t seem to be all that good at heading the ball and he has all the pace of David Bedford. At his current age.
I actually liked it when he was digging Iwobi out for being lazy defensively. We need people who will bollock at the back, as long as it is justified and not just covering for his own short comings.
Talking of short comings, how are cba’s balls?
Please note – my last sentence was written purely in the interests of comedy, I don’t really have any interest in his danglers, although obviously, from a “How are you?” perspective, I do.
You don’t always appreciate players fully and I think Santi Cazorla has been a big loss, particularly in tight home matches against defensively inclined teams. I’m wondering if he will return centrally or out wide but return he must because he is very much part of our creative heart
I’m inclined to agree with TTG and SteveT. I thought it was an entertaining match, particularly the first half.
Impressions of the match are driven by the difference between the way the two teams play – the Sp*ds got themselves into a position to shoot more often, which they did usually very poorly; our lot, on the other hand, tend to work the ball around just outside the area to try and manufacture a better opening – when they do it leads to an easier shot but if something goes wrong you’re left regretting that they didn’t just blast it. I thought they got the mix about right today, but it just didn’t come off.
I also agree with the comment above, apologies for not summoning the enthusiasm to see who from, that we simply had too many players below par today. Nothing to be done, just pray that everyone comes back fit, and ideally rested, from the last international break until March, and hope for a return to good things once the real football gets back under way. There’s absolutely no reason why that shouldn’t happen.
Onward and upward.
COYG
Not much to add except to second that Cazorla was a massive miss today…could have changed the game unlike Ramsey/Ox.
Post 133 reminds me of how screaming “Willie Young” in the middle of playing a football match still sends men of a certain age whimpering into a curled up ball….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKemltpQMgA
Not a NLD to remember. I thought the visitors defended better than us and I thought they wanted it more than us but they were as wasteful in front of goal as we were and a draw was a fair result.
Le Coq was my man of the first half and Xhaka was my man of the second. We just didn’t gel today, whether it was the 3 centre back/wing back formations of the opposition I don’t know. Iwobi and the Ox were not at the races and Oxil, Alexis and Feo were below the high standard set in recent weeks.
Perhaps the long trip to Bulgaria had taken the edge off our performance. At least Hector made the horrendous journey today to the Ems worthwhile. I am about to put in my claim for compensation from Great Northern Trains !
COYRs
Ageee with much of the above. As a group we were beloe par while they were better than expected.
Cech – several key saves
Hector – good performance; key tackle first half
Mustafi – tried hard but flaky moments
Kos – top defender
Monreal – sterling effort both offensively and defensively
Coq – great first half; surprising early sub
Xhaka – disciplined performance
Feo – was he playing? (just for Chris); good shot, unlucky
Mesut – well below par
Iwobi – very poor today; awful decision making, when he got round to a decision
Sanchez – well below par
Subs:
Rambo – well below par
Ox – awful
HFB – ran around a bit
We are not as good as we hoped we were and that lot are not as bad as we thought they were.
We still have work to do on this squad.
It just did not feel right, mind said draw wherein the heart wished for a win. Mind won again. The Arsenal need to win such games if we need to win the league. It just feels like everyone knows what we can do and we seem to prove them right more often than not. We still seem to freeze when the time to step up comes. It does worry me considering that an average spurs team which was there for the taking, was not dismantled.
if anyone felt spurs were different then no they were not. They stuck to a plan to play narrow and they did. They had come not to lose and they achieved it. What we needed was that spark, the match winners who would take the game by the scruff of the neck and win ugly if needed. Sadly we laboured towards it and that was not enough. lloris had one save of note in the entire second half if i remember correctly.
Chelsea/pool are the favourites for the league at the moment. They can sit back every week and prepare for that one game and that is an advantage for sure. The league may get decided by how the top teams fare against one another. We drew a game we should won, so now we need to beat united away, a game which we would have been ok with a draw.
Dembele was the best player on the pitch and that is saying for something.
Feo – was he playing?
He was by far our most effective attacker in the first half, which probably sums up the performance.
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