I’m prompted to write a few words following a fairly unpleasant contact with a so-called “supporter” on an Arsenal site who described us as “serial bottlers” who will obviously lose today.
We could of course get beaten, but I challenged his description and loyalty. I then called up his profile and discovered he was in fact a Liverpool fan!!
Having referred him to 30 years of waiting for his team’s current success, and possible “bottling” tendencies in that time, I gave up with reasonable debate.
So, having finished last season on a high, including that glorious win against the Dippers, what can we expect tomorrow?
I’m inclined to believe the comment, that neither team will be particularly concerned at the importance of the game, and may pick “weaker” teams. Hope however, that Mikel will see the need to try to keep momentum up and give us a team strong enough and motivated enough to get a win.
Bernd is back in as Emi is “not available” apparently. Will Mikel persist with three at the back? Pleased with Saliba’s first game on the right and, if three is the decision, would keep the MK Don’s line up. I, however, would like him to go back to four, even against those dangerous Liverpool front three ( if they play), and would select, Saliba and Holding, with Tierney and Bellerin as full backs.
I recognise that Liverpool, with their attacking fullbacks, are probably the most dangerous team to play four at the back with, but it’s what I would try out. Dont want to scare Saliba to death but…….well just me perhaps.
I would then go ‘different’ to precisely counter those full backs with five nominally in front of that back line. Shock! Horror! Not quite as radical as it sounds!A M-N on right and Saka on left. Both pressing those full backs first when Liverpool have possession. Torreira and Xhaka (if I have to!) centrally, with Dani just in front. Aubang to lead the line centrally. Pepe/Nelson to be potential right side replacements if required. Eddie and /or Laca if extra support required up front.
I’m hoping we haven’t given up on Partey, and good news to be announced re Aubameyang and Gabriel in near future. In the meantime, do us proud Gunners and make it a competitive game with hopefully a win to celebrate.
LBG
Arsenal News 24/7
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Thanks LBG for the post.
Matches at Wembley are always exciting and we certainly love playing there. Shame none of us will be there 😦
Again, thanks for the read LBG
I have been slightly out of the loop, what are we making of “Martinez not available”?
Martínez is in quarantine apparently after getting back from Portugal and hasn’t trained for 2weeks as a result.
Dani is still to come back to us as a loan player so doubt he’ll be in the squad too which is my biggest concern.
Not expecting a win tbh but damn hopeful of one!! I hope I see a lot of positive signs and commitment, players fighting for a trophy to kick start our season.
COYG!
Seedee
Think you are right regarding Dani, my error!
I would therefore play Willan in that central/forward/No 10 position instead, if he is fit. Hope Smith-Rowe will eventually be the man there.
Thanks LBG, like others I rue the loss of the ability to watch live football and to share such games as this with friends.
I think the game will be pretty even. There’s little riding on it and no one wants to pick up an injury at the start of the season, so maybe the commitment won’t be 100% from the established players … but the youngsters will still want to prove a point.
By the way, is anyone planning to watch that documentary series about a team that went another season without winning anything and got rid of the best manager they’d ever had? 🙂
Rasp
No!
Rather have pins stuck in my eyes!!
Hi LBG,
Liked the Post, thank you, and it’s interesting that you call for a different type of tactical set up — seems fine to me.
I hope we load the team with plenty of youth players as there were some exciting kids who got a chance to play against MK Dons.
Hi Rasper,
I do not know about a documentary specifically, but I understood from a friend (Man U fan) who told me that a crap ex-Manure manager had his own show on Netflix (??) because the team he now manages are so poor it was embarrassing — and they had to change the format.
If that sounds like the documentary you are referring to — Yeuk — Hell would have to freeze over first before I would lower myself to watch it!!
Personally, I would prefer to watch the team who went trophy-less, again, rather than waste time watching that egocentric popinjay.
Let me guess, Rasp, is it called All or nothing?! 😂 of course it’s nothing, it’s about the spuds!! 😂
Nice read, LBG… hoping for another Wembley belter!! COYG
Yes Sue and a Redders … All or Nothing … up until this it has been a good series … Man City and the Philadelphia Eagles were very good
Thanks LBG for the post!
I am hoping to see Saliba, Tierney, AMN, Saka, RN and Nketiah start today. Would be nice to have these young guns – the Community Shield is not the most important trophy as we all know.
Leno – Soares, Holding, Saliba, Tierney – RN, Willian, Torreira, AMN, Saka – Nketiah
This set-up may be a bit odd with Willian and AMN in the middle of the park but why not? Let us try things out and then hopefully, Willock and ESR could also get an outing together with Auba, Laca and Pepe.
LBG,
Thank you for being the one to start of the season, and I like the title too.
Going to be a challenge for Mikel to set up the team with many players out, yet it is another opportunity to pick up a second piece of silverware.
Someone on another site mentioned that many teams do not even get to play in this one. Had to laugh out loud.
Go for the win, no one get hurt, maybe even get some youth in there.
May the momentum of our team continue to build!
Martinez starts… no Willian…. Walking Dead kit… COYG
Another team goal from out the back.
Auba!
Aubang for King!
Yo Pierre 😎
Talkshite quote of this unique 2020 year
“Arsenal are a very good, organised team. Look impressive!”
Is that Auba’s first goal against that lot?
Nice celebration in tribute to Chadwick Boseman RIP
Anyone watching?
Holding, Maitland-Niles, and Nketiah sound as though they are doing much for their future case.
Great first half … the meaningless possession has gone, we look really dangerous when we get the ball. Saka is having a blinder.
Who’s this new guy Elbeny? He’s having a decent game?
Emi with a great save!
Wow!
2 Trophies in 29 games, spuds no trophies in 4 years.
Auba, what a player.
Super happy for AMN….
Team win.
Mikel has has some momentum with this crew.
Way go go Gunners!
That was the best first half I have seen Arsenal play in years.
Cool, calm and collected with terrific passing even from the back.
Odd that 5 or 6 of this team could be on the way out??
Way to go Gunners.
Do not care what it is, just keep winning them.
2021 Comminity Shield winners.
Trophies, trophies…..
What a Birthday for Ainsley:
MOTM
Winners medal
Sending those bell ends back to Merseyside with nowt… you beauty!!
So happy..
We love you, Arsenal, we do…. ooooh Arsenal we love you!!
All we need now is for big clubs to come in with lots of money for Sokratis, Mustafi, Kola (sorry Sue), Ozil and Ouzi and we can keep the rest, RA!
I don’t care what they say about this cup – I’m feeling GREAT!!!!
Not often you get to play and beat ‘the best team in Europe’ and with less training/preparation
Awesome job Mikel and the whole team. WOOOOOO!!!!!
😄 it’s ok, LBG.. Roma are interested in Kola…and what with Kolarov potentially off to Inter, you may get your wish!
The window will ramp up now!!
1. Martinez has to be the Nr.1 keeper now even once Leno is back to full fitness. He looks assured and is doing well. I am not sure Arteta would risk losing Emi’s momentum…
2. AMN – MoTM and totally nullified Salah and most Liverpool’s attacks on his side. We gotta keep him.
3. El Neny – weirdly effective.
4. Holding – may be loaned out to Newcastle! Can you believe it?
5. RN – showing a cool head during the PK session
6. Saka – clearly a player that can be decisive in every game.
7. Auba – what more can we say about our captain? Let us hope he signs his new deal shortly
8. Arteta – 2 trophies and a team with belief and more organized. Why we didn’t start last season with him still beats me…but looking forward to this full season with him as our headcoach.
Still the best RB
“Gooooood morning AA bloggers!!!”
Just listened to a typical in your face American “Highbury US” Blogger who marveled at what she described as “transformation”.
I am the first, (as proven by my altercation on Friday with a trolling Scouser, to defend the honour of my team), but I wondered if this young lady didnt hit the sensitive nail on my head with her words:-
” In eight months ( under Mikel) we have gone from reckless, spineless……..useless, to an Arsenal that we can be proud of”…
There is still much to do, deadwood to remove, but dont you feel, AAers, that at least our wheels are back on the track and our Iron horse is moving forward again after such a long time?
It’s surely great to win another diadem! The Arsenal look like a team again. We were so lost under UE that it felt like none of our players deserves to wear the badge but eight months of proper coaching, its looking like it’s not the same squad anymore.
I still can’t believe that some people think that AMN deserves to be shipped out. Without any doubt, he’s one of the most improved players since post covid and it will prove very costly if we lose him.
Our defence, though still has a long way to improve isn’t all over the place anymore. They are looking with every passing week like a well-drilled unit.
I couldn’t help but laugh hysterically when I learnt the Chavs paid £50m for Chilwel and we paid just half of that price for a player that’s twice as capable last season. Tierney is such an amazing player in our defence. His incisive passing from the back means a defensive situation could swiftly turn a possible goal scoring opportunity for us.
Gradually, we are becoming a force again for the top 4 but the fact is that we won’t be able to adopt the tactics that have helped us overcome the top four teams against mid and lower table sides. We will need to improve on our creativity.
So, it is imperative to bring in at least an AM since Messrs Ozil has gone on retirement. And as much as Elneny shone so brightly yesterday, I remain convinced that we would be vastly improved with a player like Thomas Partey who would give more physical presence and better progressive passes as our DM.
If we could reinforce our midfield with two more additions, then we will definitely be a dark horse to gatecrash the top 4.
Hi Akinzo – totally in agreement with you regarding AMN, the DM and creative midfielder. I think if we get a DM and we manage to keep Ceballos, then we are sorted as Ceba could play further up. But we need a DM – the name of Diawara from Roma is coming with insistance. There is a chance to get him as part of a swap with Torreira or Mkhy.
I agree with the creativity but where you suggest the creativity comes from should it be with the attacking front 3 or am AM
As we have it it with the attach 3 and FB
If we get an AM would he still be able to do the defensive duties and still create chance to me there is very few out there who can actually do such
Most want partey but he as some long range shots him him he can’t really unluck a defense
Can xhaka be our AM, if we get the likes of partey we know he has a good range of passing on him
Ceballos seems to prefers to stay in Spain this season
Hi Fred – I think we need a player than can also run with the ball, dribble through players and provide assists. Ceballos is more capable than Xhaka in doing so. We need a “De Bruyne/Lampard/Iniesta” type of player really.
Grealish could be a good option too and there is also Zielinski (Napoli), Pellegrini/Zaniolo (Roma) or why not Van den Beek from Ajax but I find him quite slow.
A lot is hinging on Ceballos’ staying with us or not. If not, then we need 2 players in the middle of the park for sure.
Grealish wouldn’t be a bad shoot to be fair, wondering who arteta would get if we don’t get back ceballos
A player who I think would strive in that position is willock think he much better that elneny going forward
Fred, am not advocating a player that will be part of a front three. What I have in mind is a player that will be the arrowhead of our midfield. One that could be in the mould of KDB at City or one that would play box to box. We’ve beaten sides that have shown more attacking intent than we did in our last eight matches or thereabouts and struggled against sides we were expected to stand toe to toe with.
Several players are being linked but I’ll totally trust Mikel Arteta with his choice. One thing I want us to put in perspective is that believing Partey is limited as a ball carrying midfielder is a fallacy. There’s more to his game than curtailing rampaging offense players. The issue is that tactics at Athletico Madrid have been limiting. We I’ll expect to gain points f on games against top sides as well as ones that aren’t seen in such light and playing on the counter isn’t the way to go
Some good banter on here this morning.
If everyone has not figured it out yet Emi starts!
His 2 saves on some of the best forwards in the world seals it for me, for now.
He commands his box miles better than Leno, better with his feet, and the only question for me was shot stopping, well, when he made himself very big and kept those 2 shots out it just reinforced the idea he can do that well too. Most importantly, he is just calm back there, and seems to read the game well, and know when to pass it out quickly and when to slow it down.
I have been an AMN fan for days, and if we ship this guy out, AFC has lost their collective minds. Watch that close down on Mane again and again, and get back to me. His passing yesterday looked sharper than it has in ages, and yes, he did make a few short passes when he should have looked up, and shot it when he tried to AFC assist it in, but he just turned 23 and is learning on the fly. I ask you how much will it cost us to get a player like him ready for the EPL, pacey, calm, young and ready to play in most positions? Too much I say, if our past dealings are any indication. We would sell for $20 mill and buy for $35 mill, until the top brass can PROVE they can negotiate a solid deal I stand by my assertion here. If you question that, just look at who we still have on the books, years later, yes, years.
Feeling positive about this window and AFC in general.
https://talksport.com/football/752963/pierre-emerick-aubameyang-arsenal-ainsley-maitland-niles-emiliano-martinez/
Why we lost Mkhy for free beats me…
Henrikh Mkhitaryan has returned to AS Roma, this time on a permanent deal, after seeing his Arsenal contract cancelled by mutual consent.
How we lost Mkhy on a free basis beats me
Henrikh Mkhitaryan has returned to AS Roma, this time on a permanent deal, after seeing his Arsenal contract cancelled by mutual consent.
For free hmm strange indeed
Am more than happy to keep AMN but where does he fit in
If we stay 343 and all CB fit Tierney goes as LB, so is AMN a utility player or our back up FB
What you guess think
Wonder if he could player xhaka role or even elneny
You are going to love this: Dani boy celebrating Auba’s penalty on the weekend.
With Ceballos’ return things are starting to come together.
Fred, the season is a long one and we are involved in several competitions. Arteta has shown that he will be deploying different tactics. The fact that that AMN has proven his mettle recently does not automatically catapult him into the starting 11. He certainly has a battle in his hands to accomplish that.
He has also won our hearts because of his versatility. I haven’t been overtly impressed by Bellerin since his return from injury though am willing to give him time but I wont be fazed to see Niles make the position his own. He is also still young and can improve suffiently to take over a midfield position that he craves so much
New post about Ceba