Ready for a Viking Invasion?

February 22, 2018

It was a strange game in Sweden and evidence that Mr. Potter’s unusual coaching style had little effect in the first 30 minutes. Rarely have I seen such a poorly organised team.

What of tonight?

Ostersunds players must be excited. A couple of days in London with it’s bright lights, shopping, theatre, museums and gay bars. An eye-opener after the frozen wasteland of central Sweden.

We saw in the second half that Ostersunds can play and I expect them to give a good account of themselves. They played against a very strong Arsenal team in their home leg and the opposition is likely to give them more encouragement tonight.

Given this is the biggest game in Ostersunds history, we can expect to see Viking hordes  full of mead and schnapps sail up the Thames, rampage though Holloway Road, occupy the terraces, primed to take on allcomers and abuse our womenfolk. If approached take the only sensible action …. Run Away.

As to Arsenal, it is a chance for the reserves to get a kick about. Maybe for Welbeck to show why he deserves a contract extension. Another opportunity for the sparse crowd to give the “Eddie” chant another rendition.

It would be risky for Mr Wenger to play anyone whom he wants to start at Wembley and, in recent years, Mr Wenger is not a risk-taker. As such he could select a very unusual 11.

My Team:

Ospina

Chambers    Holding    Kolasinac

Nelson   Elneny   Willock   M-N

Miki   Welbz   Eddie

This may be a little too risky for AW! JW could start especially if Ramsey is likely to be fit for Sunday.

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I am finding it hard to be enthusiastic about tonight. The opposition are poor, we have already won the tie, The Emirates will be half empty, no stars playing. Will I watch? Of course I will but most probably with my mind elsewhere.

We should win this tie whichever Arsenal players are on the pitch.

COYRRG

 

 

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Posted by Erik the Red

A Wenger Wingerless Wilderness

February 18, 2018

Martial, Sterling, Hazard, Mane’, all exciting players, all wingers

Pires, Overmars, Arshavin, Reyes, Walcott, Limpar. All exciting players, all wingers.

How many in the current squad? None.

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What changed in Wenger’s playing philosophy that meant he gave up on having a proper winger? Was it the lack of progress of Theo or the arrival of Sanchez?

Or could it have been the enormous success of TH14’s conversion?

Whatever it is the entertainment factor is lessened by a lack of a tricky winger, and this lack has had a knock-on effect upon our defensive quality. The demands placed upon both Bellerin and Monreal are enormous and impossible to achieve. Of course teams are going to get in crosses and have open spaces on our flanks when our FB/WB’s are the thrust of our wingplay.

It has to be admitted I know SFA about tactics but in my opinion it just doesn’t work for us.

Answer: Buy Zaha

 

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Posted by Erik the Red

I’m going outside, I may be Sometime.

February 15, 2018

Those who read my regular ramblings know that I am a fan of Malmo FF, the Swedish champions. Why do I bring this up? Because I am one of the very few Gooners who have actually seen Ostersund play. I had the misfortune of seeing Graham Potter’s side win 3-0 in Malmo, it was a rare and chastening home defeat.

What can I tell you of Ostersund? Only that they will be better than you expect. They will be industrious, organised and determined. Likely to focus on a solid defensive foundation and hoping to score on breakaways or set-pieces. We have seen it work so often before which is why so many teams set-up this way against The Arsenal. Wins over Galatasary and PAOK show that Ostersund can beat quality opposition.

Much is being made of the weather, it is cold, probably worse for the spectators than the players who can run around. Ospina will be worried!

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Sweden, like all the Scandi countries, have a winter break and only started playing last weekend. I am not sure if this is of benefit to them or us. What is certain is that if AFC do not win tonight there will be yet another anti-AW outcry and a few thousand N17 muppets laughing.

Wenger has to play his best available team. The Europa has become our primary focus and Arsenal cannot afford to lose. Koscielny desperately needs a break and I would bench the chap.

My Team:

Ospina

Chambers    Mustafi    Monreal

Bellerin    Xhaka     Wilshere    Iwobi

Ozil        Miki

Welbeck

If fit, Ramsey has to play, we desperately missed him in the NLD.

Given this an away fixture, anything is possible. Perhaps AW will want to shore up the defence and play Elneny and Kolasinac or even M-N.

We should win against a team who are the financial equivalent of Barnet having spent less than €100k assembling their squad.

In Days of Old, with fixtures like this, we would go away, use squad members to get a draw and win easily at home. Will AW have the confidence to try that tonight? I certainly hope not.

COYRRG

 

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Posted by Erik the Red

In A League of Our Own

February 12, 2018

We had a game this weekend, it was won by the home team. It wasn’t a surprise.

Have you looked at the PL table? It is possibly the most unusual in a few decades. To see one team so dominant that they are 16 points ahead of 2nd and likely to harvest the highest number of points in PL history (though they will lose 3 when we beat them at The Emirates).

City are a brilliant team, team being the operative word. They have fine players but unlike United they are not dependent upon individual skills. Me-rinho knows he cannot compete as a manager with Pep but he can spend a few hundred million buying players who can win a match on their own. It will get him 2nd or 3rd spot

Spurs and Liverpool are on season highs as Chelsea  plummet. If Spurs get 4th will it be considered a trophy 😀

And what of Arsenal. When Chelsea win tonight we will be 7 points off 5th and 8 off 4th. Realistically it is all over for the top 4 place.

Yet, we are also 9 points ahead of 7th place. We will finish 6th and in a league of our own. Had Arsenal a clue when it comes to playing away from home, this was a season when we could have finished much higher but our mysterious away form.

There is a problem arising in the PL. None of the teams below are going into the Top 6 in the near future.. Everton have spent a fortune, so have Leicester yet both of them are almost 20 points off top 4 and 10 points behind us.

Everton and Leicester are in competition with Bournemouth, Burnley and Watford for 7th place (Europa?).

Given our BoD’s decision to loosen the purse strings and buy our way back to the Top 4, 2019 will be exciting.

Strange Days.

written by Big Raddy

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Posted by Erik the Red

Will Anthony Taylor be the deciding factor in the NLD?

February 10, 2018

Given Pocchetino’s honest but appalling admission that Spurs players dive, how would previous  managers have responded? Bill Nick would have tut-tutted then stubbed out his ciggy and ordered another pint (check out his nose),  Pleat would have cruised home in despair, Harry would have congratulated Poch upon a fine coaching job. Hoddle would have re-arranged his cilice (look it up!) They have always been morally bankrupt.

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Consider Gazza: Violent wife-beating nutter. Hoddle? Diamond Lights. Lineker? Adulterer. Klinsmann? Serial diver. Sheringham? Without doubt the most scurrilous, unpleasant player of the last 30 years. Ruddock? Vicious thug. The list is very, very long.

No wonder Defoe and Bale left as soon as they could.

And what of the current bunch of swindlers and soap-dodgers? Alli? oh dear? He was a wonderful prospect before he got Spurred. Dembele? Would you leave your children on their own with him?  Kane? England Captain and cheat – which says all we need to know about the FA.  Eriksen? Already booked the removal company to take his furniture to Spain.

Still enough of them

My Team:

Cesc

Koscielny     Mustafi    Monreal

Bellerin    Ramsey     Xhaka    Iwobi

Ozil    Miki

PEA

The early signs of the New Arsenal are very encouraging. Whilst accepting Everton were rubbish it was our new attack which made them look rubbish. Pace, power, vision and an ability to find space will bring success over the coming seasons. The portents are very positive and whilst I remain in doubt as to whether they will gel immediately I am convinced that 2019 bodes well.

We know our weaknesses. A defence that gets flaky under pressure, a midfield which loses concentration and wing backs who get too adventurous. Spurs have the team to take advantage but hopefully we will be out of sight by the time they score – and they will.

A worry:  Monreal left the pitch holding his buttocks which could indicate a hamstring injury. If it is, there is the distinct possibility that Kolasinac will start. It hurts to write that in the time he was on the pitch last weekend, his pass rate was less than 60%. Easily the worst in the team and as bad as the worst Everton player. Add to that that his appalling defending for the Everton goal and he clearly has problems.

Let us pray Nacho is fit or that Maitland-Niles (Cons) gets picked to play left back.

If AW sends the team out to start on the front foot with positivity and attacking purpose, we can win – just as we did in the home fixture. Go out half-asleep and concede early, as we have done so often this season, and trouble awaits.

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I am sure I speak for everyone when I say we need a referee who can spot the cheating (unless it is to our benefit) . Given it is the fool Anthony Taylor, the man who gave a penalty to Chelsea when Hazard dived under pressure from Hector and the chap who mild-mannered Arsene Wenger told to F**k Off at Burnley, this could be an afternoon when the referee becomes the centre of attention. Let’s hope not.

Should be an exciting afternoon

COYRRG

 

 

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Posted by Erik the Red

Wembley. Is it a Home or Away Fixture?

February 9, 2018

Stoke, Watford, Swansea, Bournemouth, Forest, WBA, West Ham, Southampton. All teams we should beat. We didn’t. What unites all of these? You’ve got it – they were all away fixtures.

Chelsea 4 times, Man City twice, Reading, Hull, Wigan, Our winning streak at Wembey.

Conclusion: We are rubbish on the road this season but have a very good record at Wembley. It’s our second home.

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Unfortunately Spurs have done very well at home this season losing only once in the PL (I think. To be honest, I have little desire to check my facts about them)

So … will Arsenal view this as a home fixture where we are almost unbeaten this season, or an away fixture where we are clearly crap? This is strange and it is difficult to understand the difference in form. Much better qualified men than me work with the team to solve this problem, team psychologists, motivation specialists, individual positive therapy gurus, inspirational speakers, Steve Bould, Ian Wright; even Tony Adams has had a go. And we still lose to the bottom team in the PL.

But, Wembley is different. It has a proper pitch, centrally heated changing rooms with hot showers. It is in North London.

How Arsenal approach the NLD tomorrow will have a huge influence upon the result. We did them at home, we can do so tomorrow – assuming someone convinces the team that this is just another home game against weak opposition, if they can’t …. we are doomed.

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Posted by Erik the Red

Can VAR stop Spurs Cheating?

February 5, 2018

An exciting game at Anfield left Mr. Klopp fuming and a few million viewers shaking their heads at another example of the lack of moral fibre in the Spurs Miscreants. Which , to be candid, comes as no real surprise.What is surprising is that following at least a dozen slo-mo replays there was disagreement about both penalty decisions.

So how will VAR improve matters?

Let us look at both decisions.

Penalty 1. Kane is offside when the ball is played. It hits Lovren and thus Kane is adjudged onside (according to the TV referee Dermot Gallagher who has, at best, a loose knowledge of the game). Kane then sees the GK come towards him and dives, trailing his leg which brushes the GK’s arm. It is a clear dive. The man was falling before being minimally touched.

Much discussion followed. Penalty given.

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Penalty 2. Lamela gets into front of Van Dijk. Backs into him as Van Dijk attempts to clear the ball and hits the deck mortally wounded. No way a penalty – it was another example of crafty cheating.

Yet … penalty given and despite replays many would agree that it was a penalty.

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Would VAR have corrected either decision?

Alli got booked for an obvious dive earlier in the game, Lamela and Kane were simply better cheats.

We saw a similar act in our game vs Everton, when some no-mark got in front of the defender running at speed into the penalty area  -I think it was Calvert-Lewin – then halted abruptly causing the defender to run into him. The inevitable dive followed but the Everton miscreant was not booked, hence his cheating went unpunished.

Many say VAR would slow the game down whilst the decision is being made and that the fans would see less football. Given that the ball is in play for less than 45 of the 90 minutes, something could be done to correct this i.e. stop the clock when the ball is out of play at throw-ins, free-kicks and goal-kicks. It is an easy solution. What isn’t easy is finding a unbiased panel of referees to act as VAR officials.

In my opinion anything which stops a player cheating is beneficial, whether it is 100% accurate or not. There are players and managers who use diving and foul play as a tactic, VAR can help with this.

It is not perfect but IF, the replays are shown to the fans it can add to the excitement, as it has in rugby; unfortunately I doubt very much whether the replays will be shown to the attending fans. Which raises another point – VAR is for the home viewer, the billions who watch the PL around the world, not the tens of thousands who attend the game. And it is their dollar which counts.

Do you think VAR will make professional players stop cheating?

p.s. If you did not see the Anfield game, you will just have to take my  judgement as fact – after all, I am completely unbiased 😀 😀

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Posted by Erik the Red

Will the Gamble Pay Off?

February 3, 2018

In the past 2 years we have seen 34 players leave AFC with just 5 coming in (according to Arseblog). Who could have imagined such a scenario?

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Today we welcome both an incoming and outgoing player to The Emirates. Black Jedward is apparently ill but Mkhiki is due to start. This is exciting. Whom will he join in midfield? Will he play on the left wing? Only Mr Wenger knows.

I have to say that it is my belief Mr Wenger did not intend to buy Mkiki, we have other priorities and perhaps taking him was the best we could achieve in the Sanchez sale. That said, Mkiki is a player with much to prove and Arsenal is a good vehicle for him. How he fits into the first 11 is not obvious.

Arsenal have made a major shift in their forward planning, relying upon older, big name players coming in and reducing the numbers of the squad.The attack has been dealt with, Mr Wenger has stated he wanted to do more business with the defence needing more bodies (Evans??).  About time some may say but it is a gamble.

Fat Sam/Everton. Like one, dislike the other. One is all that is shite about the North, and the other the opposite. How quickly has The Walrus been allowed back into the top echelon’s of UK football after being sacked as England boss and outed as a liar and cheat?

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Everton are a proper club with good values. Walcott is a perfect fit. Let’s hope he is welcomed back and then has a stinker. They paid huge money for players in summer and January and have yet to really see an improvement. We made a mistake in allowing Everton to sign Pickford – he is a terrific young GK as we will witness this evening

My Team: Assuming JW and Auba are ill.

Cech

Koscielny     Mustafi    Monreal

Bellerin   Ramsey    Xhaka    Mkiki

Ozil   Iwobi

Lacazette

I am tempted to play Welbeck instead of Iwobi as this team lacks real punch. And of course, if JW /Auba are fit they should start.

Super day of sport ahead with an evening kick off for the Arsenal. Let us hope we continue our fine home form and take the points

COYRRG

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Posted by Erik the Red

Wenger Loosens the French Connection.

February 1, 2018

Another Obituary. Strange Days.

Today we wish Giroud a fond farewell, and give a gentle wave to Debuchy. Two more lockers to be emptied.

Matthieu Debuchy. Signed from Newcastle for, what was then, big money. Started his AFC career in fine form and seemed another good buy, but sadly he got crocked by Arnautivic (off the ball in what should have been a straight red card incident). In his absence Hector grew into the player we see today. Had Debuchy not been injured would Hector have made such an impression? We will never know. What is for sure is that injuries have blighted Debuchy’s AFC career. I like his punk attitude; he has not been satisfied being a squad player and now has the chance to enjoy the last years of his playing time in France. Could have been a good servant, sadly through events beyond his control, wasn’t.

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Like so many others I would like to thank Olivier Giroud for his input – a proper Arsenal man who (from media reports) wanted to stay at The Emirates. When OG arrived we were excited, a French International with a good scoring record, good in the air and just the chap to take over from RvP, or so we thought. Unfortunately OG is not and never was at the level of the Dutch Traitor. He is a very good attacker with great vision and a delicate touch but he is not of the first rank. Much admired but everyone knows he is simply not good enough for Arsenal. A great back-up striker and Plan B. For a team which has historically relied upon pace, OG was perhaps not the right fit but he always gave his all and we can ask for no more.

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No more will his song be sung, shame as it is one of the few that everyone knows both the tune and words. We will remember a man who loved the club, was extraordinarily handsome and scored spectacular goals.

Thank you Mr. Giroud. We wish you well.

So … we come to the end of a thrilling January transfer window, out of breath and in shock. I predicted we would sign and sell no-one, so did almost all of you. How wrong could we be?

Exciting times ahead.

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Posted by Erik the Red

Mkhitaryan free to play at Liberty Stadium?

January 30, 2018

This season the only consistent aspect of the team is it’s inconsistency. Our away record is awful – we have yet to win away in 2018 and have won just 3 games on the road (out of 12). Had we won the same as Rubbish Spurs, we would be in 3rd place a point behind MU.

With the change in Swansea’s fortunes since Carvalhal’s arrival, Arsenal’s task looks difficult. Liverpool went there on the back of beating City and lost without scoring; we could easily do the same.

But we won’t, will we?

A full squad, apart from OG, Welbz and Santi, means Mr Wenger can experiment with a system to include Mkhitayran (henceforth HM or Miki). Will Miki find form, can he be the replacement, is he as good as Mesut, can they play together, is he another Wilshire, can he play a defensive role and replace Xhaka, is he good in the air , can he recapture his BVB form etc etc? Whatever the answers, he is an exciting prospect.

Whilst lauding recent Swansea form, it must be remembered that they sit bottom of the PL with a minus 20 goal difference – we should get something from the game. An early goal will force Swansea to attack and not PTB which is their usual tactic. We have to be careful at set plays and of the counter.attack but this is a team who have scored just 7 goals at home so far this season (from 12 games) – they are not an attacking threat, so I would load the team with attackers …

My Team:

Cech

Bellerin    Mustafi    Koscielny    Monreal

Wilshire   Xhaka    Mkik

Iwobi    Ozil

Lacazette

Yes –  the Famous Xmas Tree Formation (FXTF). With the total absence of wingers in our squad (can you remember us ever being winger-less?) other systems will have to be employed.

Should be an exciting 48 hours.

COYRRG

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