Leicester Away

May 9, 2018

This should have been a big game, an exciting step towards the title, instead it is virtually meaningless. We are finishing 6th, Leicester have avoided relegation. That’s it.  You can tell my enthusiasm by the title of the post 😀

Unknown.jpeg

Worth watching? Of course it is. Likely to arouse some passion amongst all right-minded folk (i.e. Gooners) – not really. Will we see some Yute? Possibly as many of the players will be fearful of injury pre-World cup. I really feel for Koscielny.

Will we win? Our record of not winning an away fixture in 2018 does not make happy reading but Leicester have injury problems which gives hope.

Leicester: Been a poor season for them. Hard workers relying upon the finishing of Vardy and the inconsistent brilliance of Mahrez. Bit like a GG team with IW8 and Merse.

Vardy will score – he usually does. Lacazette or PEA will score for the same reason.

My Team:

Cech

Chambers    Mustafi   Monreal

Bellerin  Ramsey   Xhaka  Wilshire

Mhki

PEA   Laca

It will be very interesting to see how the team lines up when Ozil is fit. Who gets dropped? Can Mhki play a deeper role or will Mesut? And more significantly, do we need Jack?

As to the future, Koscielny’s injury and the retirement of BFG mean we will have a new Club Captain – perhaps we can have a poll on Friday (if someone has the tech skills!)

Time to break the away hoodoo.

COYRRG

 

 

 

80 Comments | Uncategorized | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by Erik the Red

This Glorious Arsenal– Burnley Ratings

May 7, 2018

BR’s pre-match predicted the day’s path with Burnley facing both a glorious tsunami of emotion and wave upon wave of breathtaking Arsenal attacks. Could the joint third meanest defence in the league stand up to the onslaught? Would the finger in the Dyche prove capable of holding back the torrent? The wonderful sunshine at the Emirates was the perfect backdrop to the guard of honour, a farewell befitting the great man.

First Half

Early on Alex Iwobi jinked his way through like a slalom skier and we knew we were in for a treat. Auba’s first goal looked similar to umpteen goals he scored for Dortmund. Someone who anticipates a driven cross has been something we’ve lacked for ages – we don’t anymore. The assist from Lacazette was superb.

The ball fizzed down Burnley’s left flank time and again, Micki firing over before a Bellerin cut-back was smartly dispatched by Laca’s left foot volley.

Second Half

At the start of the second period, Vokes tamely headed the ball straight at Cech – this was the only Burnley chance I can remember; though copious pre-match libation may have something to do with that.

A spanking left foot piledriver from The Beast after superb work from Jack, got the second half properly underway. Fred’s favourite, Iwobi, soon followed up with the 4th goal from an Auba cross. The rout was complete with my favourite finish of the day, Auba diverting Hector’s cross past the keeper with a delicious outside of the foot touch.

As BR said yesterday, the 90 minutes in between honouring Arsenal’s greatest ever manager were always destined to be a sideshow, but what a glorious sideshow it was, wholly befitting a man who helped to transform and revolutionise both Arsenal’s football and football in England in general.

A pre-booked train meant that we could not stay for the after match festivities. I’ll have the chance to savour AW’s final Emirates moments later on today.

Thanks for being such a massive part of my life for so many years, Arsene.

Merci beaucoup.

Ratings

Cech – Almost a spectator he saw so little of the ball … 8

Bellerin – Loved the sunshine and provided two fine assists  … 9

Mavropanos – Another fine game, looks a big old unit with skill, class and composure … 8

Chambers – Looks to have found the quality that Arsenal shelled out for in the first place … 8

Kolasinac – Spanking goal, looked comfortable … 8

Wilshere – A vast improvement on recent form  … 9

Xhaka – In a game like this Granit looks perfectly at home to orchestrate the midfield  … 8

Iwobi – Revelled in the sunshine, corking goal too … 8

Mkhitaryan – great skill, passing and passion to drive forward, part of a new attacking golden triangle  … 9

Aubameyang – Two excellent goals, great wing play  … 9

Lacazette – Left footed peach and right footed assist, next season should be good … 9

Subs

Ramsey/Welbeck – both enjoyed their late arrival to the party – 8

Mertesacker – even in his short time at the club he’s proved to be a true Arsenal man and got the send off as a player he deserves – 9

Big Weng – Thanks man – 10

Summary

Just the most perfect day up The Arsenal.

chas

 

83 Comments | Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Bongo

Burnley face a wave of Emotion

May 6, 2018

Has there ever been such an irrelevant game with such relevance? Today is about Mr Wenger, Burnley and the 90+ minutes between the first and final whistle are a sideshow.

Unknown.jpeg

Should this PM be a peon to the mighty Arsene or your bog-standard run through of the runners and riders? Let me ponder a little ….

OK. I have decided. It is to be a normal PM because this game is not season’s end and the final minutes of an era, it is an opportunity for the paying Gooners at The Emirates to say goodbye to a man who is one of my heroes. There will be time for the obituaries in a couple of weeks.

But …. I wish I could be there. I really, really wish I could be there. I want a Merci Arsene t-shirt.

images-1.jpeg

So, Burnley.

Sean Dyche has done a fantastic job and must be manager of the season. Guardiola has created a monster of a team but Dyche’s achievement is outstanding. How many Burnley players can you name? Try. How many did you name? I got two – Aaron Lemon and Jack Cork.  Do you know that Ben (Bertie) Mee is their Captain?

Yet if Burnley win today they have a fair chance of finishing above us!! Remarkable, almost as amazing as Ranieri taking Leicester to the title.

My Team:

Cech

Chambers    Mustafi     Monreal

Ramsey    Xhaka    JW

Mhki    Ozil

PEA    Laca

An attacking line up. Perhaps AW will give one or two of the youngsters a run – M-N in place of Ramsey, or our new Bubble at CB? Or could Mr. W play the same sort of team which did so well at Old Trafford?

Whomever plays and whatever the result today is all about The Great Man.

I have a favour to ask. If you are  lucky enough to be going to the game and someone around you bad-mouths Mr W. please don’t just sit seething , please tell the ingrate to Go Forth and Multiply.  This is one of the rare occasions when having a contrary opinion is totally unwarranted.

A final home win would be marvellous. Let it Be So.

COYRRG

 

119 Comments | Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Erik the Red

Out with a Whimper rather than a Bang – Atletico Ratings

May 4, 2018

Looking for highlights to refresh the memory of major incidents in the game, the go-to place is often Arsenalist. The clip descriptions for last night seem to form a decent match report, illustrating the fact that we didn’t really have many clearcut chances whereas Atletico did. Fair reflection or not?  Here they are……..

First Half

Ospina punches it away early

Dangerous Lacazette cross

Huge Diego Costa chance

Koscielny injury

Oooo…Monreal almost pulls it back for Lacazette

Good Arsenal play but Bellerin’s cross is poor

Big Lacazette chance, doesn’t get shot off

Atletico volley – Ospina save

Monreal chance

Ooooo…Atletico just wide

Ooooo…Griezmann chance

Diego Costa goal 1-0

Second Half

Welbeck fouled very smartly to stop Arsenal break

Big Ramsey chance – can’t get clean shot off

Chambers bails out Mustafi (who fell) on Costa chance

Dangerous Ozil cross…nobody at the end of it

Ozil wins it back, but cross is cleared

Xhaka chance

Huge chance Costa/Griezmann, they should have scored

Bellerin cross poor

Mikhitaryan chance, over

Monreal heads it down into the box – nobody there

Great Xhaka tackle on Griezmann

Costa and Mustafi double bookings

Ozil doing stuff you expect Welbeck to do

Is this….is this a cross?

Can one of you please effin shoot

Ospina save on Torres

Ratings

Ospina – Made some decent blocks … 6

Bellerin – Wakey wakey for the Costa goal, crossing poor throughout  … 5

Mustafi – Shkodran seems a bit thick, left on his backside far too often  … 5

Koscielny/Chambers – Poor Laurent, perhaps a career-ending injury/ Calum did well with a few fine interceptions/recoveries  … 6

Monreal – Worked hard to find something for us to bite on around the Atletico goal … 6

Wilshere – Seemed to lack belief  … 5

Xhaka – Granit gave full effort but is never going to be the one to unlock a resolute defence  … 6

Ramsey – Nothing really came off, looked a bit lightweight … 5

Ozil – Some dangerous moments but couldn’t find anyone to finish off his good work  … 6

Welbeck – Gave everything but still lacking that last little bit of quality  … 5

Lacazette – Plan A requires Alexandre to have some service, Plan B may have been what Arsenal required last night … 6

Summary

Just not good enough on the night against one of the best defences in Europe.

Such a shame for Kos – his Achilles has been an accident waiting to happen. Two new centre backs please, Mr Next Arsenal Manager.

Oh well, on we go to Sunday’s 6th place decider.

chas

65 Comments | Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Bongo

Dear Friends, Once more

May 3, 2018

Time to gird the loins, take a deep breath, cry God for Harry, England and St. George.

We can do this. We will not win the tie if we go into it thinking the game was lost with Koscielny’s mistake. We need positivity. Attack from the first, score an away goal, silence the crowd, bang in another early in the second half, then park the bus.

Or do it the *89 way. Tight until half-time then rely on The Lord Above and Micky Thomas.

We showed at the Em’s that we can compete, that AM are beatable. People say that if we can’t beat them when they had 10 men then tonight we have no chance. I say “poppycock”, AM were forced to PTB and scored with one lucky, very lucky, punch. They were not better than us. And let us not forget we scored and had opportunities to score more.

Unknown.jpeg

OK, tonight we may have to contend with Costa and Griezman in tandem, but so what? Gabriel had Costa in his pocket last time he played us.

The injury to Elneny could be costly but it forces AW’s hand, he has to play an attacking team. A massive bonus is the return of Miki who alongside Ozil could define our play. Razor sharp finishing from Laca, Welbz coming on to harry the ageing AM defence and we are kushti.

My Team

Ospina

Koscielny    Mustafi     Monreal

Bellerin   Ramsey    Xhaka    Wilshire

Miki   Ozil

Lacazette

Mr Wenger may choose to start Welbeck ahead of Miki but I hope not, Miki coukld be the catalyst for a win and frees Ozil from the pressure of being the main creative force.

Can Wilshire play a disciplined, defensive role – we shall see

Very little on the bench if things got TU.

AM have a new ground the 67k capacity Wanda Metroplitano which will hold the CL Final in 2019. The noise will be considerable and the few Gooners attnding will struggle to be heard.

The bookies make AM strong favourites with good reason. They haven’t conceded at home since Queen Victoria was on the throne and we must score.

Hopefully a tense evening ahead

COYRRG

119 Comments | Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Erik the Red

Superb Young Footballer? Sign for Arsenal.

May 1, 2018

Last night I watched the youth get hammered by a superb Chelsea team in the FA Youth Cup.

Chelsea won the Cup for the fifth year in a row and had some truly outstanding kids showing remarkable poise, skill, tactical awareness and above all pace. Arsenal tried hard, gave their all but Chelsea were just too good.

I was left with this thought …

Why would a brilliant young player player sign for Chelsea?

Do they have a history of bringing players into their first team? How many of the team from 5 years ago are in the current Chelsea first team?

Unknown.jpeg

As far as I can tell there are no players from that team in Chelsea’s first team squad. That’s right – None. How can this happen?

Let’s come back to Arsenal. We got hammered and have not been at the top level of youth football since 2007 when Wilshire’s team won the FAYC. However, we have brought young players into the first team. Bellerin, Iwobi and Wilshire all came through the ranks

Waiting in the wings are M-N, Nelson, Willock, Eddie and a host of others. They will get their chance. Of these Maitland-Niles seems the most mature and ready for a long Arsenal career but who knows, he may fall by the wayside like so many others.

A few seasons ago we focused upon Project Youth, it didn’t work. In the PL experience is essential, apart from MU’s wonder generation, you cannot rely on kids. But how do the youngsters get experience? Bellerin was fortunate insomuch as Debuchy got injured and we had no experienced replacement. We have seen that Holding and Chambers, who were two of the most lauded youth players in English football, have struggled after initially impressing. I believe they will develop into quality PL players but they must have game time and when making the inevitable mistakes, should be given some leeway.

Fans want instant success, they do not consider that a player is finding his feet, they just look at the stupid series of errors and condemn the player. Chambers is going to be a fantastic CB, but will it be at Arsenal? Will the fans give him time? I hope so.

So … Chelsea thrashed us and their players will rightfully thrilled, but if they want to have a career at Chlsea they tare sadly misguided. They should have signed for Arsenal.

written by Big Raddy

69 Comments | Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Erik the Red

Next Entries »