Are we going to talk football? Why not?
Strange game last night. First half a meandering dull affair enlivened only by speculation as to why the Emirates was a quarter empty.
Ozil playing beautifully but Giroud the opposite. Sanchez scoring two but losing the ball way too often. Gibbs having his best game for a few seasons.
Referee, once again, crap. Two clear penalties declined, too many yellows for AFC whilst that thug, Cattermole escapes having crunched Ozil, Ramsey and Sanchez.
Ramsey. Finally finding some form following a run of games without injury. Sadly, it looked season ending damage for the Welsh Wizard. Hope not.
Defence. Another clean sheet but Cech exposed way too often, if Sunderland were not so poor in attack, we could have been in trouble. We miss Koscielny as Monreal is too concentrated upon attack. Mustafi improving as the season progresses and will be very good next season. Loved the no-look Monreal back pass to Cech, top entertainment.
Cech showed why he still has a few more years at the top. Faultless. I love his urgent distribution to get the team on the front foot.
We looked so much better with Welbeck and Iwobi on the pitch. More pace, more incisive, more problems for a tiring S’land defence.
Holding. Who didn’t love his run upfield? The man looks a future star and a huge bargain. Who said AFC can no longer scout talent from the lower leagues?
All in all, we played OK with some sublime work from Ozil and Xhaka. The headlines go to Sanchez but goals apart ( 😀 ) I thought he had a poor game. My MotM was definitely Ozil.
We had to win to keep our run going and put pressure on L’pool, we did. Just need to win the next two games and the season will look much better than a couple of months ago.
written by Big Raddy
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
Covered everything there, Erik. Nice work, thank you.
Agree Kos is key, as apart from the defending three themselves, we are also stronger with Monreal further up.
Big question then, is who comes in for Ramsey if he is crocked for both games.
Options:
Elneny…not had enough game time for me
Coq….allows Granit more freedom and might help solidify against Chavs
I’d consider The Ox, to add the midfield thrust, and keep Bell wide.
Excellent, BR, a fine summary.
It was an end of season game without too much riding on it, but the three points still give us a sniff.
Ozil was majestic and Xhaka not far behind, as you say.
Ozil’s running to find space to receive a pass is simply amazing. You can bet the press/TV highlight the one time he was too knackered to run back. Everyone’s got a flippin agenda.
Rambo not playing against the chavs may help as he’s too undisciplined positionally (which is fine against relegation fodder).
Micky
Don’t try shoehorning the Ox into the midfield two. GoonerB will have a fit. 🙂
Chas
He tried shoehorning The Ox out on to the left wing last week, so who’s the failed purist? 🙂
A sniff we do have, and while it clearly was end of termy, we’d feel a right bunch of idiots had we not bothered, dropped points, only to discover Pool being held to a draw this weekend. In that respect, massive game, massive win. That’s my spin anyway.
ps Erik
Thanks for camera info. I think she’s after the 1300 rebel one, although personally I’d go for your more compact number every time
A fine match review, oh, great Rad. 🙂
I agree with all the pints you made, and we could have been sitting together watching the proceedings as you echoed my own thoughts.
[Of course, Micky has warned me never to sit near you as flatulence is not restricted to car journeys apparently.] 😀
If it’s a left footer cutting in from the right wing or right footer cutting in from the left, shoehorning is allowed. ☺
“”FLASH WARNING”” — It would be better if you did not read the following, Chas.
Raddy made the point (not pint) that for all the important brilliance of his goal scoring, our man Sanchez can get himself into a corkscrew dribble and give the ball away far too often.
His goal scoring is so important that he is a definite ‘first name on the roster’ type of player for me.
Then there is Xhaka. It is impossible not to gasp at some of his exquisite long ball passing particularly to the forwards, he really is on a pedestal of his own in that respect. But …… he is poor when in possession of the ball and despite his size he gets tackled too easily, and seems incapable of running at anything more than Warp Factor minus – 5.
Is he the future at Arsenal? Well, probably — but, for me, he is like a fine antique bowl — with a crack in it — and you know them thar cracks, they don’t ring sweet whatever you do to fix ’em.
But yes — a keeper overall. 🙂
I have never understood peeps who get the horn about a shoe – well, except for Micky, because he lives in that strange part f the country. 😀
Another reason for wanting Alexis to continue is his muscular enthusiasm and movement throughout a game.
As you well know, there are 4 fundamental forces of nature; electromagnetism, gravitation, weak nuclear interaction, and strong nuclear interaction.
I suggest that to those 4 fundamentals we should petition to add a 5th – to be known as a Sanchez Independent Oscillation. How say you all? 🙂
I was looking down the list of Authors, and feeling a little taken aback, and perhaps a little sad that some of those once sterling visitors to the blog have long gone, and I barely remember them.
Then I noticed that ‘Harry’ and ‘Herb’ were shown on the list twice – but even that duplication has not prevented them from departing.
And then I note that the best author of all, RockyLives, has not graced the blog, and thrilled sycophants like me, with one of his wondrous Posts for many a day.
Very sad. 😤
Great summary.
– Cech is still a top keeper
– Holding is looking like a good piece of business and comfortable in the back 3 format
– We can agree that Monreal shall be at best a squad player and that Gibbs must leave
– Ramsey is injured – I think El Neny must come in rather than Coquelin
– Xhaka is finding his rhythm but still need to improve in driving with the ball and keeping possession. He seems to struggle with dictating pace
– Ozil did well
– Bellerin is getting back to his earlier form and Mustafi is also doing fine
– Giroud seems to be better as a squad impact player but his workrate is great
– Sanchez is always hungry and decisive – he must stay
Against Everton:
Cech – Holding, Kos, Mustafi – Bellerin, El Neny, Xhaka, Monreal – Ozil – Wellbeck, Sanchez
+ convince Everton to take Giroud and Lucas and some cash and to give us Lukaku 🙂
Now – we are all behind Middlesborough so that we don’t regret our Palace and West Brom games…We should really have 4 more points (draw + win against palace and west brom) and that would have secured CL.
Anyways – I hope that Liverpool chokes “Gerrard title slip” style and that we snatch 4th place and that we go on winning the FA Cup.
Cheers Raddy
I was impressed with the whole 90 minutes. A couple of months back I was going to games and we looked defensively unstable and unsure when we had the ball. Look a different team now and this 3 at the back business and the ability to switch to 442 if needing a goal is an excellent basis to go forward.
Best player before he came off was Ramsey. Dont see a problem with positional indiscipline when we play 3 at the back, he gets covered. Overall, Ozil was the man. Fantastic passing.
Sanchez is obviously our best player. I suspect in due course we will discover that Maradona is his father.
Highlights off the pitch. The bird that served me my diet coke was absolutely stunning. Honestly, at that point I actually envied those creepy balding guys who promise beautiful girls a modelling career only for the girl to find out the photo shoot is in a dingy bedsit and the diet coke is just a ruse to play with there straw.
The appearance of John Hawley as half time speaker was also great. For anyone who does not know, John was a really shit striker bought by Terry Neil. He was so modest in his interview, admitting he was crap and that if he had played for Totnumb he would have been paraded as one of there legends.
Only downside. That F*ucker who after the game threw a pint of beer soaking my wig. I have been on the Bald Truth forums and given fellow Toupee wearers a detailed description of your appearance and obvious under achieving educational performance, so be prepared to be taken hostage and subjected to a lengthy monologue on how your assailant cannot get a girlfriend.
You will also be forced to take GCSE examinations in English and Arithmetic.
Transplant
The way forwards is clear. Be a creepy balding bastard. In life, some let it happen, some make it happen. So said a creepy bastard. Nevertheless, go for it, the rewards shall be great. A bedsit awaits.
Hi Terry,
You are truly a comic genius! 😀 😀
[P.S. Never heard of John Hawley — but he sounds like my sort of guy!!!]
The wonders of AA……………
Great posts from Raddy
Great humour from Terry
Great images and videos from Chas
Great analysis from RC78
Great comments from Eddie
Great books from GB
Great intelligence displayed by ZED
Pure greatness from MIcky
Hi GN5,
Totally agree with all your ‘Greats’ (especially the first 6 – and the $5 I now owe you will soon be on its way!!
[Micky will never notice that you changed his name to Zed.] 😀
in
Hi Zed – I had difficulty “pigeon holing” Micky because he adds so much to the blog – would have said Great dad but that’s not bloggish.
Spot on with your 12:20 GN — Micky for Blog Emperor!! 🙂
As you are too modest, GN, can I say that you are rather special yourself in the blog world, in my opinion, for your unique and wonderful historical Posts about Arsenal – backed up by your wealth of data – past and present.
Take a bow, GN5 — the Great Historic Post writer. 😀
Zed, I’m not known as a modest man – humble maybe. My blogging ability is greatly enhanced by the hidden assistance I get from Chas.
However I enjoy blogging and so wish I was in England and able to make personal contact – maybe one of these fine days I will get over for a few games before my time is up.
I totally agree with your earlier comment about authors of yore – they are Greatly missed.
I don’t miss any of them – feckin splitters.
Fancy putting real life before blogging – disgraceful.
I don’t do anything to GN5’s posts except take screenshots of his spreadsheets. (not as vulgar as it sounds)
Chas – now you are being modest. Without your knowledge and assistance my posts would be quite mundane.
I’m thinking of putting my fingers back on the keyboard for a pre – pre – FA Cup Final post.
I’ll be in touch.
It seems to me that AW has concluded that the problem with so many of our defeats has been early goals conceded.
Once we are down, having to chase the game down, makes us vulnerable at the back to counter attacks.
For that reason, it seems that we are much more cautious in the first half, which explains why so many of our goals in this good run have come in the second half.
The exception was the game against the scum, which went to plan, until we contributed heavily to their first goal, and then Kane did a Rooney for the penalty.
Incidentally, why is Crouch not being cited by the PL for deliberately cheating with his “goal”?
Can anyone be in in his right mind to suggest that it was not deliberate?
The sheer dishonesty of his claiming the goal when he knew that he had cheated, must lead the game into disrepute.
Thanks Raddy, I think you have covered all points admirably.
I think I saw that dirty word shoe-horning used earlier. We must cut it of at its source immediately and treat it like the vermin it is. Nasty business this shoe-horning. It spreads like a virus through a club infecting it and stifling its ability to play football, until you end up needing a relegated team to pull one out of the hat at Anfield. Be vigilant fellow A.A’ers in our fight against this nasty infliction.
The funniest thing happened to me last night. I was celebrating our victory at the end of the game and accidentally spilled my beer. I heard this shout along the lines of “oy, you’ve made it all soggy and slippery you bastard and it won’t stay where it is supposed to now”.
There was real pain and anguish mixed with hatred in the voice, and I can tell you it was horrible…a sound no man should have to bear witness to.
Anyway I didn’t have a clue where it came from and looked behind me. Not seeing anything I looked back round again and there right in front of me was this strange creature. It looked vaguely human with 2 arms and 2 legs but where its head should have been was something very different. I can only best describe it as being a head shaped shag pile carpet.
Anyway fearing I was in the middle of some sort of alien abduction I legged it and have today contacted the makers of the programme “unexplained mysteries” which deals with paranormal and other unexplained sightings. They were very interested and will be following it up.
I think they have some doubts as to the state of my sobriety at the time though when I told them that as I was scarpering I am sure I heard the creature shout “and you owe me a Brandy you bastard”.
“I don’t miss any of them”
Ha ha, Chas, beat me to it. I would have inserted a special clause for Dandan, Rocky and 26, but the rest of ’em, splitters as you say 🙂
GB 😀 😀
Correct…. splitters.
“Fancy putting real life before blogging – disgraceful”.
A classic…………
raddy – I see, 2 games including beating Chelsea. Glad to see your sense of humour is intact 🙂
As I have already said – I watched middle of the game, not great, it has to be said. But Xhaka is sort growing on me, good looking lad and if he can keep his temper at bay, he’ll do very well. Mustafi is gorgeous and Holding doing well too. Happy dayz. Perhaps we will win the league next year. Until then cheerio!
Perhaps we will win the league next year. Until then cheerio!
Eddie, are you signing off until August?
What has ‘splinters’ got to do with the price of eggs? Hmmm?
Zee.
I totally understand your story and predicament, GB!!
My perception is guided by personal experience having been described by inebriated personages, who then yelled at me “get away from me, you strange creature with your vaguely human body, with 2 arms and 2 legs but where is your head, you alien? I can only describe your cranial area as being shaped like a shag pile carpet.”
What’s wrong with a shaggy pile carpet?
GN5 – it is possible 🙂
Thank you BR, and here I was thinking a splinter was something you got up the ass when sitting on a fence.
And you have not clarified what you meant by lying about Comey and and passing on classified intelligence to the Ruskies — oops — that was someone else with a splinter.
I see GB.
By pleading guilty your toupee wearing assailant, dancing away to “stuck in the middle of you”, may spare you the torture of dangling a Polaroid photo before viciously unleashing a whole album of the Bounds Green wig wearers associations trip to Snowdonia.
Think yourself lucky GB. On that trip it was bloody freezing so to avoid frost bite all who traveled were forced to use there toupees to protect there most valued extremeties.
Unfortunately, some wigs didn’t make it back.
That’s not good Eddie I want to see your garden growing………..
New Post
Personally I would’ve like to have seen more from Gibbs although I agree he had a good game I always feel as though he could do more, I feel he doesn’t try take on a defender, if you compare Gibbs to the Ox you can see a huge difference the Ox will run past the defender and cross it into the box meanwhile with Gibbs I feel like he gets to the final third and passes it back he never does the spectacular
I also thought Xhaka was class. There simply isn’t a footballer in the league like him. He’s had his critics and rightly so but he has shown leadership which Arsenal have lacked in past seasons and a desire and passion to win. Xhaka is one of the best deep lying playmakers he manages to stretch opposition teams with his impressive range of long passing and can pick out someone running in behind the defence as he showed against Sunderland perfectly demonstrated by his lofted pass to Özil for Sanchez’s goal