Daily Bits and Bobs

A ray of hope, flickers in the sky…..

Posted on by rico

Morning all.

Our season so far.

5 defeats
7 draws
8 wins

Premier League.

4 wins
6 draws
3 defeats

18 points from 13 games played. 10 points off of Watford who are firmly rooted to the bottom of the league table. Just 8 points ahead of Norwich who are also in a relegation battle and the club we face this weekend. Our goal difference is -1.

We’re out of the League Cup, despite having a two goal lead which we couldn’t defend at Anfield. Our chances of reaching the Europa Cup knockout stages are in jeopardy after a home defeat last night.

Not one single performance has been good this this season. Not one. Yet somehow for reasons I doubt anyone who has an interest in football can understand, Unai Emery is still the head coach at our club. No disrespect meant but Arsenal are not Everton, West Ham, Bournemouth, Burnley etc whose objectives are possibly to finish in a Europa place, as high up the table they can or Premier League survival alone, we’re a club who should be challenging for the league title, achieving top four at least.

Martin Keown said nothing a few here on HH have said before and that’s if change doesn’t come, we’ll soon find ourselves in a relegation battle and should that unfold, we’re done for in my opinion.
I don’t think it’ll come to that of course as I’m sure a change of coach looms large. Not that there’s any guarantee a change of coach will secure top four but I’m pretty sure that whoever it is will have the ability to get more from this group of players than Unai Emery is.

The warning bells were gently sounding during the last couple of months of last season, now they ringing out loud and clear as if waiting for a bride and groom to appear only they’re not scheduled to do so.

The Mirror and Sky Sports report that the board are holding a meeting this morning. The aforementioned are running a live update as it’s anticipated today will be the day Unai Emery will be handed his P45. Both Sky and The Mirror have either been gifted a snippet from an inside source, or like me and no doubt many many thousands of Arsenal fans around the world, simply believe that only a bunch of fools would let this disastrous situation run any longer.

Maybe it really will be Black Friday, for Unai anyway but for us, more like a Red Friday as this could be the day when the Arsenal board finally do what’s right for the club, what’s right for the players and of course, what’s right for the fans.

Keep them crossed guys….

 

 

 

rico

70 thoughts on “A ray of hope, flickers in the sky…..”

  1. andorrabyte says:

    Morning Rico and everyone.
    DO hope something radical is done today – amputation I think they call it?
    As I mentioned last night I just caught the end of the match when the Germans scored the second and from that moment I was shocked at the glaring ineptness of our play. We were simply awful!
    Pleased to see lots of empty seats.
    The SACK EMERY signs should have been the size of a large truck.

  2. Adam says:

    Morning Rico and all. I’m glad I showed stellar judgement last night and spurned the chance to go to the latest Arsenal debacle, choosing instead to watch the spectacle in the glory of 4K on BT Sport.
    Perhaps because of the insipid and quite disgusting performance of the team I found myself being constantly irritated by the incessant drivel that Karen Carney spewed. Her monotonous pronouncements of the ‘bleeding obvious’ just made the whole thing even more tortuous than it already was. Those who had the misfortune to witness it won’t need a post-match reappraisal from me but a few things stood out.
    Am I wrong in believing that the players are deliberately trying to get Emery out? If not, they’re doing a very good imitation of it. Has any single player improved under the Spanish tactician? I had doubts about Guendouzi last season but he started this campaign looking like he’d actually thought about his game and decided that it needed to about more than dwelling too long on the ball, getting caught out and throwing himself to the ground. Alas, he has apparently decided that this what he is best at. The referees have stopped agreeing.
    We have no shape at all. It’s like playground football. Sokratis, faced with the scary option of trying to dribble out of his own area, boots the ball upfield. Inevitably it comes straight back and we are in trouble. Time and time again.
    Tierney gets the ball and unsurprisingly looks for a forward pass. There isn’t one so it’s back to the old Wenger days of back or square. Negative, slow and yes, relegation form.
    I could go on but, like many of you, I am weary of the whole nauseous mess right now. Blame who you want. It doesn’t matter. Arsenal are an object lesson of how not to run a football club. They are as slow, indecisive and dumb as our central defenders but without the comedic element.
    It’s as sad as it gets at the moment but apparently there is a meeting being held as we speak to discuss things. What a joke. That meeting should have been held at eh end of last season where Unai let everybody know what a dreadfully bad fit he is at the club. Unfortunately nobody seemed to be listening.

  3. Cicero says:

    Good morning folks.

    Well said Adam, I agree with every word. Luckily my wife had gone to bed by the time I got round to watching the recording, otherwise she would have been shocked by the expletives I hurled at the screen, particularly in the second half.

    If nothing else makes the Kroenkes wake up, the attendance of 49,419 will do so.

    Norwich City’s players will be licking their lips at the thought of tasty morsel heading up the A11 tomorrow.

  5. Le Coq Monster says:

    The tipping point for the snail board would have been the pictures of the overwhelming empty seats, so we can thank Adam for being an empty seat ! 😆

  6. Adam says:

    Morning LC. The empty stadium must have been a somber reminder to the board of what lies ahead. 😃
    I’m sure they missed me though. 😉

  7. Le Coq Monster says:

    When the inevitable happens today, can we please have some sympathy for Emery as Vampires have feelings too !

  10. Le Coq Monster says:

    You took one for the team, Adam………………….Rico will undoubtably award you The HH Bravery Award of the Highest Order !……………………not so much HRH Adam , but HH Adam .
    😆

  14. Le Coq Monster says:

    If Freddie doesn`t take his first press conference with red hair I`m going to be disappointed ………….

  15. Andrew Halling says:

    Reverse way round, just read post! Morning rico, all, post came true and we can all discuss happier times like who’s taking over, can we still make Europa League, who will now play, who’s staying? 🙂

  17. potter says:

    There’s a surprise , I just hope that Freddie gets a cast iron guarantee that when his interim is over , he is not cast away with the blame for what happens in the next few months.
    Time now to rally all the old boys to come to the aid of the party . I heard Dixon talking recently about the way the midfield and defence were not acting in sync . get him and Keown to work with Per and sort this thing out , if our so called superstars don’t like it then tough .I would take remains of this season singing 1 nil to the Arsenal .Use Ozil and Aubameyang to be Bergkamp and Wright and stop leaking goals ,

  18. Wavy says:

    The coach has gone, long thrive the new coach…….Freddie…..!

    Let’s hope the players turn up at Norwich and show us what they can really do! Let’s hope Freddie gives them a “game plan” that they all understand and can operate. And, that the fans are all on side from the first to the last minute.

    Have we got our Arsenal back? I really hope so. What has happened over the last eight months has plunged me into swamp of despair. Today the sun is out the rain has stopped and the world seems to be full of hope!

    Morning all. what a good day to be an Arsenal fan!

  20. Andrew Halling says:

    Charlie Nicholas has just convinced me Rodgers has made every player he works with better, and that we should try immediately for him.

  22. ScottfromOz says:

    It’s done, so let’s look forward, rather than backwards.
    Morning all.
    No celebrating from me, not at all.
    It just had to happen.

  25. Mike says:

    Morning Rico and all.
    I think the club has done us and Unai a favour. They got him out of the way before things turned really toxic.
    I hope it’s not too late for us to turn things around this season. It’s time for all our old players ( now pundits) who have all had their say to get together and help Freddie sort this debacle out.

  26. ScottfromOz says:

    We need to name the replacement soon, imo.
    Freddy can do 12 weeks and no Europe?
    Hardly a good situation but a necessary right now.
    Of course, we also need to get the replacement absolutely right 🙂

  27. rico says:

    Morning Mike. I certainly wouldn’t have wanted to be in Emery’s shoes for the last couple of months but then I think I’d have admitted defeat and resigned.

    I’m not sure why managers sit around and wait for the inevitable…

  28. ScottfromOz says:

    Rico, several million reasons, and I don’t think anyone would quit with a pay out pending, unless another gig was on the table 🙂

  30. Mike says:

    Yeah Rico, why hang around and take aggravation? Maybe it comes down to money. They all seem to get a big pay off.
    Also pig headedness . Everyone knew he was out of his depth except him.

  31. Andrew Halling says:

    I’ve just had this scary feeling …….. 2 minutes into Norwich match and ball goes to Leno. Who plays it to nearest defender and we start passing along our 6 yard box under prerssure 🙂 🙂 🙂

  38. ScottfromOz says:

    Rico, unless you’ve had a payout for 5-6 million awaiting you, it’s pretty easy to say that but I’d hang around because looking at half the mangers we are talking about as replacements, they’ve been sacked before and will be again-it doesn’t hurt their reputation at all, seemingly.

  39. Aussie Geoff says:

    Hi All now the coach has gone its time to shove a rocket up the arse of the lazy players and remind them they can’t blame the coach any more,
    I see Josh and Stan had to go to the shrink to recover from opening the wallets. how ever green piece are happy to see all the moths fly free

  40. rico says:

    Fair point Scott, but I’m sure managers get some amount of compensation when they resign, if not as much as they would. But I’d like to think if I had millions in the bank, a few more wouldn’t make a difference.

  41. ScottfromOz says:

    Rico, it’s really hard to say either way, but I get your point.
    I guess I go back to a contract being a contract, though.

  43. Mike says:

    Hi Geoff, I’m with you re our lazy arsed players! The only ones with any gumption last night were Martinelli (brilliant) and dare I say it Mustafi !
    Lets hope Freddie gives them that kick up the arse they need.

  45. rico says:

    I had to smile last night when Unai brought Ozil on. He was chatting away to Ozil, telling him what he wanted from him but Ozil was already long gone off to the touch line.

    Sad, but said it all really.

  46. Aussie Geoff says:

    Hi Scott if I was on the same money as these coaches today I would be happy to take all the abuse you can write or say about me after all why we are working hard to put food on the tables and pay bills in retirement he is sun baking on a private beach with a nice cold beer.

  47. Mike says:

    Rico, I must say I was fuming when he replaced our best and hardest working player on the pitch for Ozil . That said it all for me really too.

  51. Limey says:

    Thanks Rico,
    Good luck to Freddie, he’s got his work cut out, he will be hard pressed to do worse anyway.
    I tried to step back a bit, until Emery was gone.Not from following the games though,I have been
    following Arsenal since the mid 70s (I was born in 1966) I first went to Highbury in 1983,went hundreds of times, only a few times to the Emirates, traveling into London is such a pain, so it feels like Arsenal are in my blood.
    I would like Freddie until the end of the season (or however long is allowed, I’m sure allowances have been made before for people without the necessary badges) Allegri to take over in the summer
    But I’m not really bothered who takes over long term.
    I’m sure Rico said a couple of months ago,that Emery would be out by November,and Freddie in.
    It’s still November..

  54. Mike says:

    I used to despise Gary Neville as a player…….. But as a pundit he does say some sensible stuff. I just listened to him talking about our defenders being uncoachable… I think he may have a point.
    Do we all think our players are better than they really are?
    I know Emery was crud, but good players should be able to play better than they have been…. Surely.

  55. rico says:

    I used to think Neville spoke well about the game, coaching etc etc but then he tried to walk the walk and failed dismally… 😂

    Horrid stuff in London… ☹️

  62. ScottfromOz says:

    Hi Geoff,
    I’d never accept it.
    If a manager or player is doing a poor job then fine, criticise them all day long but imo, there is no excuse for the personal stuff simply based on someone’s performances.
    We will tear Norwich apart.
    The depths to which our players fell were quite dramatic, and I reckon we can’t overstate the weight that’s been lifted off their shoulders.

  63. Aussie Geoff says:

    Hi Scott what worries me is the lack of time given to Freddie to select and lift the players for this weekend match and his coaching staff, I hope we win but if with loose I hope the fans don’t turn on Freddie and give him a chance

  64. Aussie Geoff says:

    Hi All I just read a story that Aubameyang and Lacazette that both told the club they would not sign a new contract until emery gone from club, If this is true I would shove the contract in there face and say we got rid of him as you wanted now sign it and if you don’t you will sit on the bench for the rest of your contract.

  65. Cicero says:

    Hi, Scott, “We will tear Norwich apart”, do you really believe Freddie can make such a difference in just forty-eight hours.

    I hope to see a more committed performance and he has said that he wants to play in the Wenger way but defending was never one of the Frenchman’s strengths or priorities.

    If he goes for all out attack we might see some goals but I don’t expect an Arsenal clean sheet.

  66. Cicero says:

    There was, finally, a hint of ruthlessness about th Emery sacking, Geoff, and I hope that has got through to the players. Perhaps they will realise that if they don’t come up to scratch they’ll be on their bikes.

  67. ScottfromOz says:

    Hi guys,
    Geoff, Fans won’t tear Freddie apart.
    Cicero, no, I don’t believe he will make much difference, but the fact Emery is gone most definitely will.
    I can’t remember seeing a group of players so sour in a manager before so watch them go.

  68. ScottfromOz says:

    Geoff, Postecoglou has all but won the J League.
    3 points in front with one to go, where they play the second side though the goal difference is 7.

  70. Aussie Geoff says:

    Hi Scott Now we need the board to look out side the cycle and Ange may have a chance but I am not holding my breath.

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