When the deeply unpleasant Me-rinho announced that he would be talking over from flaky LVG I was concerned; this was a chance for him to resurrect his career. Hopefully, he will continue the fine work done by his two predecessors.
Jose’s press conference yesterday told all we need to know about him; just watch his facial expressions, listen to his envy. If I were one of MU’s phalanx of spin doctors, I would be worried. The man is unspooling.
Long may it continue
Onto the game. As always there is the truism – points lost at OT are no more valuable than those lost at say, Vicarage Road. Nonetheless this is an important game, we need the points to stay with the front-runners and doing damage to MU is always good.
November. Bellerin. Santi. Sanchez. We know the problems.
Team selection will be very interesting. Will AW go with a defensive midfield pivot of Xhaka & Coquelin alongside Elneny? Will Ramsey start? Or Sanchez?
And what of right back? Peaches put out the rumour that Coquelin could start rather than Jenks, I can’t see it. Jenkinson has experience and is likely to start. Or could AW play Gabriel at RB and allow us to play with 3 at the back, pushing Monreal into midfield and thus giving space for an attacking MF (Ramsey?).
A little about MU. They seem a club without an identity. In times of yore there was always a glimmer about them, some glamour. This is why Pogba and Ibra are so important to United, Pogba in particular, will be the man to base the team around. They have young talent in Rashford, Martial (I would love him to work with AW at AFC), Shaw and Bailly. Keeping De Gea was huge – he earns them at least 6 points a season. Someone will make them into a Top 4 side – I pray it is not the obnoxious Jose´.
My Team:
Ospina
Jenkinson Mustafi Koscielny Monreal
Xhaka Coquelin Iwobi
Walcott Sanchez Ozil
Given Iwobi’s midweek travelling from Nigeria it may be that Ramsey will take his place, but let us not forget The Ox whose energy would do well in a more defensive performance.
The pundits are predicting Me-rinho will PTB, it is his way when facing attacking quality. Without Ibrahimovic I expect him to play on the counter and defend deep. Mata always plays well against us so I would not be surprised to him man marked.
This will be a test for us, the portents are not good – the Mourinho jinx, November, our recent record at OT, injuries but this is the time when all good men come to the aid of the party.
COYRRG
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
“The man is unspooling”
Love this description.
Thanks BR
COYRRG
Ha ha, LB beat me to the unspooling comment 🙂
Thanks Erik, some interesting selections available. I have a feeling Aron will start, but whether that’s in place of Granit or Alex, who knows?
I’d prefer ‘Fuck off Mourinho’
great post, thank you Raddy
Have to go out, should be back on the sofa for the second half. Keep a little space and some cake for BR
Great post BR. Others I read not liking the kick-off time but for us in Oz, it is like a blessing. 10:30PM is like peak time viewing, Love the early games…
Brilliant, Raddy. Love the curtain raiser. 🙂
dont like the KO time. and the weather. its brass monkey weather in the north.
Manure have once again proven themselves to be the scumdogs of Britain by appointing the obnoxious Portuguese, May all the ills of the universe shower upon them.
COYG.
ARSENAL TEAM NEWS
Team to play Man Utd: Cech, Jenkinson, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Elneny, Walcott, Ozil, Ramsey, Sanchez
Subs: Ospina, Gibbs, Gabriel, Xhaka, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Iwobi, Giroud
MAN UTD TEAM NEWS
Team to play Arsenal: De Gea, Valencia, Jones, Rojo, Darmian, Carrick, Pogba, Mata, Herrera, Martial, Rashford
Subs: Romero, Blind, Schneiderlin, Lingard, Young, Memphis, Rooney
Smashing, BR, cheers.
Cmon lads, do us (and this man) proud.
Nice. I think our team looks better than their crappy looking XI
Arsenal substitutes: Ospina, Gibbs, Gabriel, Xhaka, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Iwobi, Giroud
Arsenal XI: Cech, Jenkinson, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Elneny, Ramsey, Ozil, Walcott, Alexis
Read more at http://www.arsenal.com/live#6BtgI20TbSV08UMA.99
nice vid Chas. 🙂 COYG
Good team, best we could have fielded, I am really glad that Wenger doesn’t feel forced to play Xhaka because he paid more money for him than he did Coquelin and Elneny.
How come you predicted ospina to start over Cech?
Ok, all strapped in for lift off?
Come on you Gunnnnnners
Morning all
Thanks for the pre-match Raddy, as others have pointed out ‘unspooling’ very clever 🙂
Manure started well, we seem to be giving them lots of space but I have faith in Koscielny and Mustafi.
Early ko’s always seem to surprise our players 🙂
Ok, 20 mins in, and I reckon we’ve taken the sting out of them, so maybe a good time to bring on the Ox or Alex 🙂
Amazing, Sanchez looking the freshest and most dynamic
Come on Arsene. 30 mins. Make the change 🙂
We looking tired
Fred
I think we’re basically playing with 10 men. There has to be something wrong with Aaron
will take the half time score, good game.
take off Rambo and Theo, both pedestrian, and bring on Xhaka and EFF. 🙂 happy with Jenks so far.
man of the half is Cech. which says something, I think.
Arnie
If we had a player down the left, whether Iwobi or Ox, then Theo would have more space, but agree Ramsey should go. Shocking half for him.
Let’s go grab a goal 🙂
tight game isn’t it.
they’re really pressuring the ball in the middle, forcing it wide. Missing Santi in the middle. Someone to unlock it.
manure still looking like a side trying to find itself.
Heard the commentator say theo wife having there second child s he probably studying that
Giroud might work better, someone to hold up the ball
Micky and Fred. someone tall and strong in the box, I think. COYG
Super PM Raddy, thanks.
55 minutes gone and it could go either way. Ozil not really making his mark on the game (….yet!) and Theo just lacking the tricks to get past the full backs.
Yea you would think Ozil would drop deep to collect the ball instead of Sanchez, Ramsey still playing right
hmmm. looking bad, we need to get into their box, and force Jones to be permanently posted there
Gary Neville is furious with how we’ve played today and he’s not even a Gooner 😦
Not a single shot so far in the second half wtf
ha ha ha ha. EFF the saviour! 🙂
Yessssssssssssss
Excellent 1-1, you see I just have to have a little moan and we score 🙂
Thank God that’s over
Lucky lucky point.
Just got home with game recorded. Is it worth watching the whole game or just some of it after the rugger?
Boy, do I like a thumping header. ☺
BR
None of it.
The goal was the only thing worth watching
Agree 😉
Micky. No such thing as a lucky lucky point, ask Rasp 😀
There are loads of these on twitter
Erik
Chas’ little clip is the only thing worth watching
Arsene was shit today. All in all we did not deserve a point, so in that respect…phew
Re the rugger, I think the Ireland All Blacks game at 5:30 could be the one to watch
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
What Arsene should say when shown the new Puma Managerial Touchline Range is really quite simple 🙂
No don’t do it BR
Fred. I won’t 😀
Both LB and I said midweek that we would take a point, so I am happy with the result if not the performance.
My main concern is which side showing up for PSG
Micky
You ought to give him a few style tips.
e.g. How to look cool wearing broken purple plimsolls.
Arsene was shit today.
Apart from the subs which saved us from defeat.
Erik
If I were LB I’d have taken the bloomin’ point as well because it would have meant I’d also planned on starting with Aaron. 🙂
No, no, and non, that look is simply too French 🙂
Had he started with anyone else but Aaron, we may have got three points. He should have spotted it after 20 mins and done something.
Ox did more in one minute.
The only thing Ramsey has done in two ‘effing years is his ‘effing hair
Ok, rant over. Promise to behave normally 🙂
A first half substitution, don’t be ridiculous.
So Ramsey has taken over from Giroud as your new scapegoat whipping boy.
Hmmmmmmm.
20 mins to be exact 🙂
No he hasn’t, but the side was imbalanced and he was awful. I watched the game.
So Giroud still number one. 🙂
Well yes, and no. My beef with Ollie was when AW used to see him as First XI. This season we’ve played some brilliant football with Sanchez up top and I am very happy. Ollie is an excellent player to have on the bench. Never denied that.
I am not someone who ever needs a scapegoat, but clearly Aaron was not good today. At all.
I’ve now got 73 albums on to a tiny weeny ipod nano. Still going 🙂
Palace just equalised with city – could be a good day for us 🙂
I should keep my mouth shut – 1:2 city 😦
Will OG start against PSG?
He scores in almost every appearance. Super sub or starter?
Will take the point!
Do not want to see Ramsey in the side again with Iwobi the better fit, but he will need rest from time to time.
Arsenal seriously miss Bellerin and Sanchez was no where near ready to play at a high level today.
Thought it was going to take a clean sheet to win today and it was true.
D actually played well, and Coq was the best of that unit.
Ozil needs support to roam and did not find it today. Need PACE on the wings and Ox and Theo provide that, it is one way to move the pieces of the other side around to create space for runners into the box.
Onward and upward.
Every time I get frustrated with Ramsey I remember FA cup fimal
IRE NZ rugby game is fantastic. Thank goodness I was never big enough to play in the scrum
The Miscreants score two in the final 2 minutes to scrape a win.
Horrible
Sir A Hussein was at Old Trafford and has offered a match report, I’m going to accept unless someone else wants it …….. anyone?
Good Ol, Sir A
Top man.
huge disappointment, nothing else.
“Arsenal did the mannequin challenge for 89 minutes and still drew”
Brilliant.
Looking forward to Sir A’s report.
Just imagine standing there frustrated for virtually the whole game and then equalising at the end.
The bizarre nature of football, I suppose.
Morning All,
Up until the 89th minute of games, it was a good day for Chelsea
chas. 26/5/89
Morning all.
Letting ManUre think they might win, conserving energy for PSG and sending OG on to get a last minute winner. Perfect performance!
Morning all,
Yawn. Strectch. Eye rub. Coffee. Much needed.
7.58. Wenger’s smile is lovely
Chas’ 7:58
I was not going to push play on a vid with Rio Ferdinand on it. Too tired.
So glad I did. The tail is immediately bushy 🙂
Out of interest, and I know Sir H is a mate of Chary, but where else do his match reports appear, because I assume he’s on another blog.
Very happy and grateful he does them, just curious
ha ha ha ha ha. motning all. good posts, Chas. 🙂
I plan to pen a few words that are not particularly time sensitive. To nuts later today.
BR
8.29 – were you really frustrated for virtually the whole game in 1989?
Chas
If he was, then it can only have been the “extras” he consumed. I cannot remember a more engaging 90+ minutes during my whole sorry life
chas. No (you have read about my very enjoyable evening) but it a night when victory was snatched from the jaws of defeat.
And if you watch the whole game, we could easily have lost as we played no more than OK over the 90+ minutes. That gets lost in the narrative which has developed over the 26 years years.
But perhaps this is a discussion for another day. A post on games which turned in a matter of seconds might be interesting
That’s kinda true Erik, but what doesn’t get lost over time re the narrative is the enormity of what the ’89’ers achieved
Having to win by 2 clear goals, away, against the dominant club in English football. Yes, the bum squeaked, but the fight was incredible
No argument there Micky. One of the best nights of my life.
I see what you’re getting at BR, but we were 1-0 up for nearly 40 minutes. 🙂
…. which, of course, left the possibility of snatching that vital second goal.
Must go and read your match account again. 🙂
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