Daily Bits and Bobs

A horrid day. Football goes on though.

Posted on by rico

Morning all.

Winter has well and truly arrived yesterday as temperatures struggled to reach six degrees where I live. Throw in the biting wind and it felt much colder. Logs in, burner lit and I was snug as a bug.

Elsewhere though, horrid stuff was going on.

At Leicester City, owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha‘s helicopter flew off from the King Power pitch as usual after a home match but no sooner was it in the air, it crashed to the ground and went up in flames. It’s not yet known who was in the helicopter but it’s being reported that Srivaddhanaprabha himself was one.

Earlier in the day, America, Pittsburgh and the Jewish community in particular were hit hard and violently. One evil bastard burst into a Synagogue and opened fire on families who were celebrating the naming of a child. Many dead, others critically injured in what was a horrific act of hatred towards one community. The male responsible is in custody but it matters not what penalty he faces, it won’t erase the extreme pain and suffering so many are feeling because of him.

My thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by both awful, yet very different incidents.

Glen Hoddle who whilst working for BT Sport yesterday collapsed after reportedly suffering a heart attack. He remains in a serious condition but thanks to someone at BT Sport who knows how to operate a defibrillator, he should fully recover. He’s never been a favourite of mine but regardless, I wish him a speedy recovery.

Kind of puts football and sport into perspective really.

But our match today goes on as normal and we’re away to Crystal Palace.

Roy Hodgson and his team haven’t had the best starts to the season. Their home record is really poor and they’ve yet to score a goal at Selhurst Park in the league. Their only two victories were at Fulham and Huddersfield so one could easily be tempted to think we’re in for an easy ride. No chance. Despite their bad run, Hodgson believes his team have deserved much more but luck simply hasn’t been on their side. Christian Benteke and Joel Ward miss out today but I believe they are their only injuries.

Unai Emery:

“I think the first thing we spoke about when I arrived here was to improve our competitiveness, both individually and collectively as a team,” he said.

“We are doing that. Step by step, I think the team is more competitive and we are not giving the opposition a lot of chances to score easy goals.

“At the moment, we are conceding a lot more than we want to but, in the last matches, we are learning to control games better, little by little. Also, we are not losing.

I think that’s one of the first things we on here spotted about this Arsenal team under Emery, the attitude from the players. It was like an overnight change too. Well, over a summer. Good though because we needed it big time. We can still improve in that department though, just as we can improve in every other aspect of our game. That’s life, we’re always learning, trying to improve on what we did the day before.

I love this comment from the manager, a response to the media who change their opinion on arsenal depending on which way the wind blows:

“We aren’t the best team now, and when we lost we weren’t the worst team. We’re a good team who need to improve a lot of things and take more confidence, responsibility and ambition to improve.

I don’t think he could have described this Arsenal team any better if he tried. We are good but we’re not great. Not yet but we’re heading in the right direction.

There was no sign of Nacho Monreal or Sead Kolasinac in the photographs of the players training yesterday so it’s looking likely that Granit Xhaka will continue to fill in there which in turn will open up a space in midfield which one of Ramsey, Elneny or Guendouzi will take. Or Smith-Rowe perhaps. My hope is to see Guendouzi alongside Torreira. Petr Cech is fit but I can’t see Emery turning his back on Bernd Leno. The rest kind of pick themselves. Actually, they don’t anymore do they?

Emery makes his team selection based on how he wants to play and who the opposition is. Same as his substitutions, they are tactical and not driven by the clock. He’ll have been focussing on Crystal Palace from the time his feet landed back in London after the Sporting game if not before because that’s what good managers do. Fail to prepare, be prepared to fail.

Fingers crossed we can keep the winning run going. It won’t be easy, but something worth fighting for seldom is.

 

rico

65 thoughts on “A horrid day. Football goes on though.”

  1. allezkev says:

    Morning Rico, another good post.
    Morning Gooners, did you forget to put your clocks back last night?

    Awful news from Pittsburg, I guess it’s always likely to happen when you have so many odd people allowed to purchase guns…

    The Leicester thing reminded me of the Chelsea guy who died in his helicopter, that club is going to be in turmoil. I’ve not listened to the news yet so maybe more info has been forthcoming.

    As for Glenn Hoddle, I don’t have any malice towards the guy, he almost joined Arsenal back in the day and seems to give a fairly balanced opinion of us when I’ve seen him on a TV.
    Put another way, I’d rather listen to Glenn Hoddle talking about Arsenal than Stewart Robson!

    Tricky game today, it would be easy to let our standards slide after the Lisbon job and with Liverpool on the horizon, but Emery won’t let them ease up. After all what’s the point of beating Liverpool if you don’t beat Palace?

  2. allezkev says:

    Zaha will be a constant threat, he has pace to burn so we need to stem the supply, because if he doesn’t receive the ball it matters not how fast he can sprint.

    I hope that Holding keeps his place in the side, but I’m torn between Mustafi or Sokratis, Mustafi is the quicker I’d imagine, not that Sokratis is a slouch. Bellerin is back and Xhaka on the left for me for the balance he brings with his left foot.
    Guendouzi, Torrieira, Ozil, Lacazette, Aubameyang and Iwobi to make up the middle and front with Leno a must in goal for me…

  5. rico says:

    Zaha is another Wenger nearly signed. Deal was in place apparently but dithering cost us. He’s a Gooner supposedly.. definitely a threat today.

  7. Adam says:

    Morning Rico and all. A horrible day of quite awful news yesterday. All I can do is to express my very real sadness at it all. As far as the whole situation in the US is concerned, how can you legislate for the deluded and insane, violence-prone nutters when you are stuck with a constitution, written so long ago, that many believe enshrines the right to possess guns regardless of who you are and who you hate?

  8. rico says:

    Morning Adam, it’s a tricky subject to discuss over the internet imo, but a guy like this one and all the others will find a way to get a gun regardless of laws I think.

    Look at what’s gone on in London since the turn of the year…

  10. Cicero says:

    Yes a horrible day, The synagogue attack in the US, the helicopter crash in Leicester, Glen Hoddle’s illness and let’s not overlook Hamas who launched a heavy rocket attack on Israel and immediately declared a cease fire but not soon enough to stop Israel from carrying out retaliatory air strikes on the launch sites. Meanwhile in Syria Isil killed sixty anti Assad fighters.

    Still as you say, Rico, football goes on.

    In today’s game whoever is tasked with marking Zaha needs to be on his toes, and I mean Zahas’ as well as his own. For that reason I would play Bellerin on the right and Lichtsteiner on the left. Bellerin has the pace to deal with Zaha while Lichtsteiner has the positional nous to cope with him.

  11. Joaquim Moreira says:

    Morning all
    Awful news yesterday,
    Hatred to a particular community is a constant.
    Leicester boss was inside the heli

  12. rico says:

    To be honest Adam. Why does anyone outside of the military and emergency service need access to a weapon of any kind? Imo, they don’t and shouldn’t.

  15. Joaquim Moreira says:

    Arsenal team: Leno, Bellerin, Mustafi, Holding, Xhaka, Torreira, Guendouzi, Iwobi, Ozil, Aubameyang, Lacazette.

    Subs: Cech, Lichtsteiner, Sokratis, Ramsey, Smith Rowe, Mkhitaryan, Welbeck.

  16. potter says:

    I remember driving through death valley from Vegas to Los Angeles , every road sign was riddled with bullet holes ( target practice ) we were told . A funny society both Nevada and California are living on the edge of social breakdown but for different reasons.
    Onto today though I suspect that Xhaka will be at left back and we will play an attacking side , the subs bench will be interesting though.

  17. Rick says:

    Afternoon Rico and the House.
    Todays team,
    Leno, Bellerine, Mustafi, Holding, Zaka, Torreira, Guendouzi, Iwobi, Ozil, Aubba, Lacazette

  21. Cicero says:

    Potter, it’s not exclusive to the States, I’ve seen road signs peppered with shotgun pellets on several Greek islands.

    Rico you got your wish, Leno in goal.

  22. Le Coq Monster says:

    Morning all and thank you Rico.

    Even if you live to over 100 years life is too short and to live well less than that is a tragedy . The worst thing would be to out live your children………………… then life would be too long.

    I`m one of the few who has stood by Xhaka, but if he has to mark Zaha, then this could be a hard game, he will need help, so maybe a case of best line of defense is to attack !

  24. Le Coq Monster says:

    Wasn`t Welbeck experiamented as a full back in the pre-season ?…………………………………………….maybe he would have been a better choice with having pace !

  25. Le Coq Monster says:

    Damaged road signs are not exclusive to the States or Greece or anywhere, the ones around Cornwall are peppered with teeth marks !……………………we have more than your average amount of window lickers down here !

  34. Cicero says:

    Slow start, numerous chances conceded, few chances created, none taken, clumsy tackle by Mustafi, penalty concede, half time 1 – 0. Typical Arsenal!

    Bellerin injured it’s official.

  44. Joaquim Moreira says:

    Two dropped points but in reality, one point won.
    Very poor physical condition.
    In the 2nd goal.e does not realize how it is not finished or shoot.
    72 hours. It’s different having played at home or away.
    Next, with Blackpool will be necessary to change the team, even if in the last 3 games only Leno, Xhaxa and Holding were played from the start in the 3 games.
    Follows Liverpool

  45. Cicero says:

    Well the wheels finally came off.

    The ref was well and truly conned by Zaha for the second penalty. Either that or he felt sorry for him after a clattering by Lichtsteiner. Whatever, it wasn’t a penalty.

    Ozil demonstrated, once again, that he’s not the man for away matches in the Premiership.

    Still, the unbeaten run goes on.

  48. Wavy says:

    Afternoon all.

    November on Tuesday. The ‘new’ Arsenal will breeze through it, but if the ‘old’ Arsenal is reconvened November has never been a good month for us! Dick will have to earn his corn in the next 30 days!
    There were signs of our November form at Palace this afternoon, I thought. Scruffy and scrappy. Ball retention and passing was less than good and very little, if any, ‘slick’ one or two touch football. Adam said it, all a bit tired. Still we remain unbeaten in 12 games, so progress is being made.

    Still got blue skies here but it’s cold, a cold north wind. A bit wintery!

  52. andrewh1313 says:

    Thought Iwobi also poor today. Often the two both play well, or both struggle a bit. Maybe it was lacking Monreal to put in a decent cross from left hand side allowing Auba more freedom inside.

  56. rico says:

    Wavy, I can’t see Emery allowing us to drop off now. Most will have a rest this week I’d imagine and be ready for Liverpool..

  61. Le Coq Monster says:

    If we are to get any kind of result against the irrepressible unstoppable`Dippers without having our butts kicked we need to rest players against Blackpool and hope we have some quick full backs recovered from injury !…………………………it`s only fcuking Blackpool, they would get thrashed by our excellant Arsenal Women who are on fire !

  63. allezkev says:

    Saw MotD, thought that Mustafi dived in like an fecking idiot for the 1st penalty.
    Xhaka got a screamer.
    Lacazette was having his shirt pulled off of him back when he stuck his arm up for our 1st goal.
    Should have been disallowed and we should have had a penalty.
    Xhaka caught out for 2nd pen.

  64. potter says:

    Before the game I was worried about Xhaka and losing Bekllerin didn’t help. Townsend and Zaha were having a field day. Ozil and Iwobi neither of whom are great back trackers left Geundouzi and Torriera often with 3 or 4 coming through the middle and Auba didn’t look like he knew where to be and Lacazette was getting the treatment and rarely kept the ball which came back towards us far too often.
    Not all negatives though , I thought the two defensive midfielders and Holding were good andas I said yesterday , in the last few years we would have lost it so 1 point is Progress.

  65. rico says:

    I agree in that we’d have probably lost that last season.

    Forgetting all that went before, it’s disappointing that on 80 odd minutes, we’re 2-1 up and then concede. Mind you, I’m far from convinced Xhaka fouled Zaha.

    Morning all.

    New post up now.

Leave your comment.

Discover more from Highbury House

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading