A team of two halves. Feeling sorry for Mkhitaryan as Big Sam words bite him badly…

Morning all.

After our terrible defensive display in Wales, one which Arsene Wenger was pretty cheesed off with too, I’d no idea what expect from this Arsenal team against what was anticipated to be a very defensive Everton side and a parked bus. They had pace up front in Bolaise and Walcott and knowing how our defenders often get caught out, alarm bells were already ringing loud in my ears.

Pre match was all about whether our new lightening quick new signing would start after feeling under the weather this week and would Mkhitaryan also get the nod for his first game at The Emirates in front of his new home fans. Mesut Ozil would start, that was a forgone conclusion as not only has he been in great form this season, he’s just signed a new contract so he should be as happy as Larry. Just the thought of those three on the pitch together was an exciting prospect, possibly the most exciting for a long long time. I certainly can’t recall the last time a January transfer actually looked like it would improve our first team.

I kind of felt sorry for Mkhitaryan because his move to Arsenal was seriously overshadowed by the player we were losing, yet this was a guy who really had downed tools since his much anticipated move to Man City failed on the last day of the transfer window. In flashes, Sanchez tried but he’d been nowhere near the level he’d been during the previous season. Mkhitaryan hadn’t been at Utd long but already Mourinho had ditched him. Of course, that meant he wasn’t good enough for the Premier League, because that’s how the media work. He might do well at Arsenal they said but then again, he might not. The jury was out big time while Mourinho though, had just completed the signing of the winter transfer window. Yes, we’d signed a great player in Auba they said, but questions marks were and still are all about his behaviour off the pitch and whether he could replicate his form here in England.

We were doomed weren’t we……

Added to all the above, we can’t defend. Our midfield is weak, our defenders not good enough and having not signed a defender or two in the transfer window was a big mistake. Arsene Wenger admitted he wanted reinforcements in January but he didn’t get them. Why? Gawd only knows because if you pay the right money, you’ll get the player as Pep proved with his only winter transfer deal. If Wenger is staying beyond the summer then his words should give us hope that he’ll address that issue in the summer although I maintain the belief that it matters now which defensive players he signs, it’s what he does with them which sees us consistently cock up.

Soon after the game kicked off, Mustafi had a moment of madness and again, alarm bells rang. However, I shouldn’t have worried because it wasn’t long before we took the lead. Then, like buses, three more came along and before we knew it we were 4-0 up. The players were all over each other with smiles on everyone’s faces. They were happy and why not, they’d just taken Everton apart with ease. Yes, it was only Everton but regardless, the way the new boys, Ramsey and Ozil were playing together was a joy. Even Iwobi looked a half decent player.

For all Big Sam had said about our defending, it was his defence which looked all at sea. They didn’t know what’d hit them and they were fortunate not to have conceded more.

Aaron Ramsey started the goal fest, Koscielny with our second, Ramsey again with the third and then Aubameyang made it four although he was offside. Makes a change for a decision to go in our favour eh. To be honest, it was all very easy against a team which was nothing short of awful. Their back three were all over the place and we certainly made them pay. 4-0 going into the break was flattering for the visitors.

Whatever Sam Allardyce said at halftime to his players seemed to wake them up a bit, as did his change in defence. Bolaise hit the woodwork in a move which injured Petr Cech and then soon after Theo Walcott was replaced by Calvert-Lewin and the latter pulled a goal back. No 200th clean sheet for Cech who eventually admitted defeat to his calf injury. With less than fifteen minutes of the match remaining, Ramsey fired home a perfect Mkhitaryan cross for his hat trick before being replaced by Jack Wilshere.

5-1, game over and three valuable points.

Talking points.

Three goals from Aaron Ramsey and his first ball to take home since joining the club.

Three assists from Mkhitaryan who would on any other day taken the MOTM award but that of course went to the Welshman who regardless of his goals, had a pretty good game. (Alexis who, he probably thought)

Mkhitaryan – A real team player who said our style of football suits him perfectly. (Up yours Mourinho)

Aubameyang is going to get goals in this team, lots of them and he wasn’t even fully fit. Nor has he trained much with his new teammates.

Kolasinac, albeit with two players to mark, made a hash of his defending for their goal.

Calvert-Lewin – tried to con the referee into awarding Everton a penalty and had he’d succeeded, Mustafi would have been off.

Mustafi made a couple of great tackles, the best blocking a shot from Theo Walcott.

Our midfield/defence seriously needs working on but that’s a job too much for Arsene Wenger. He hasn’t sorted our frailties out in this department for years so it’s fair to say he won’t now, or rather he can’t.

Not for one minute do I think our problems our resolved, nor do I think we’re suddenly world beaters but as Arsenal fans, if we can’t get excited about our two new signings and the what they brought to the team yesterday, then we’ll never get excited.

The first half was pleasing on the eye, the second though saw us revert to type. The energy levels dropped, we conceded a goal. Great teams would have taken Everton to the cleaners but the reality is we’re far from being a great team. The 5-1 victory was great, don’t get me wrong but it’ll take something more than thrashing a poor Everton side to convince me that things are taking a turn for the better. Yes we’ll score goals, we often do but until the day arrives when we stop conceding them for fun, we won’t be challenging for the league let alone the Champions League.

This weekend we travel across North London to face Tottenham who are in good form. That match should tell us a lot more than yesterday ever will.

Mind you, I don’t think many of us need telling, not anymore….

57 thoughts on “A team of two halves. Feeling sorry for Mkhitaryan as Big Sam words bite him badly…

  1. Goonster says:

    Great post Rico my only gripe is why not start auba and laca surely they can play together. Yes iwobi did put in a shift last night but I feel an attack of laca and auba with the ozster and mhki behind them would have smashed Everton by more goals but hey am not complaining. Lol

  2. Le Coq Monster says:

    Morning all and thank you Rico.

    Spicy stuff earlier on, I dont like all that stuff, no, I love it ! hahaha
    I like you all and I dont class Scott or M`kat as AKB`s, I also miss their comments and GG`s. I also respect Rico for letting some of the comments stay on as I know some blogs would have had them removed and as a supporter of free speech however “shopfloor” it is I dont believe in censorship, so well done Rico.
    🙂

    Onto the game, well, best thing was finding out Rihanna is a Gooner !……………….A long source of fantasy for me has gone to a new level, now I can fantasize about us having an Arsenal back four play before making love, then talkng about Arsene`s departure for hours after the two minute session ! hahaha

    Obvious to me that Wenger thinks that for us to win and get a trophy or 4th place is to just try and outscore the oppo`, we will undoubtably come unstuck !…………………great entertaining game though, ut I`d rather a 1-0 to the Arsenal at Wembley next week !

  3. rico says:

    Morning Goonster, don’t worry about it, a new day and all that.

    Thanks re the post. I don’t think resting Lacazette was a bad thing really.. Not with Europa looming.

  4. Goonster says:

    Rico don’t you think that ‘ll damage his already fragile confidence. What’s with that NO 9 at arsenal??? The last to wear that shirt with a good reputation is Alan Smith. I can understand it. Laca is a well proven goal scorer. I don’t buy into that crap that he can’t deal with level of the PL. Release the ball early and he ‘ll replicate what auba did yesterday. I just don’t want to see him go the way of franny Jeffers,park and most recently lucas perez.

  5. Goonster says:

    LC that’s makes two of us. I have a fetish for riri. Can’t post it on here Rico ‘ll have my hide ????but boy how I love her.

  6. Goonster says:

    Funny how she accused you of not liking a woman when we ‘ve had some insightful and intelligent women on here. Agag comes to mind and am pretty sure she left cause she couldn’t take all this crap arsenal serve on a daily basis. There was also Emma the scouse and one Italian lass that put me in my place after I tried to flirt with her? good times.

  7. Goonster says:

    Rambo was on fire last night but I feel Wilshire suits us better. Mhki and auba ‘ll enjoy playing with Jack the lad than Rambo. Plus he’s been one of the players of the season since he came back. Heard klopp is sniffing around him we need to tie him up to a new contract asap. Don’t ever want to see jack in the red of Liverpool.

  8. Goonster says:

    Rico we spent 50m quid on him. Surely we didn’t buy him to sit on the sidelines. That’s an expensive bench warmer. Don’t you think?

  9. Adam says:

    Morning Rico and all. Good win yesterday full of lavish attacking and suicidal defending. I enjoyed it anyway. Sort of. And a spicy end to the day with the return of Meerkat.

  10. rico says:

    Morning Adam. Most enjoyable for a while eh. Once we get a man who can sort out the way we defend, we won’t be far off I reckon. Well, with a few additions I hasten to add..

  11. Adam says:

    It is incredibly odd though that we can create the sort of attacking football we did yesterday and yet our defending is so completely awful. All International defenders as well yet, take a glance at the back and you’ll be lucky to spot one. Any ball over the top, at any time and it’s panic. Not a single midfielder with any inclination to hold space or safeguard the defence. It is as baffling as it is scary. Do that next week and we could be in for some wobbly moments.

  12. Le Coq Monster says:

    Hahaha………..I`m sure M`kat signing off as AKB was just to wind you up !…………………….anyway as you say…………………new day !……………………..and a fine one it is too here in the Sunshine State of Great Britain …….
    🙂

  13. Wavy says:

    Morning all.
    Lovely to wake up on a. Sunday morning with a warm glow of satisfaction and fulfilment surrounding you. 5-1 shame about the 1 though! A few more convincing wins will have everyone thinking that the boy has finally turned up and put his finger in the dyke!
    I’m still not convinced that Wenger had much to do with the new signings, although I may concede that he was consulted over the aquisitions of our three newbies. However, he played the two new superstars and they performed admirably. Yes, a really good attacking performance. Long may it grow and increase.

    Next weekend will give us a clearer answer to where we stand in the pecking order. A draw would be satisfactory but a win would suggest that the tide may be turning!
    We’ll see!

    Not a cloud in the sky here. I could be in the south of France!

  14. Kk says:

    Good post rico,
    Shame about the the disrespectful and paranoid comments after the game ..so typical..
    It’s either you agree with them that arsene is the messiah or you are just a repetitive boring ungrateful supporter..it’s a cult. .

    Anywho good to see our new recruits had a fine game and rambo 1st hatrrick ..
    I thought iowbe had a good game as well ..

  15. Alex says:

    Good Afternoon Rico

    5 – 1 good result.

    Yes Everton were bad and we make them pay.
    How about had we not beat them or draw ?

    The team did what it suppose to do.Fantastic.

    Rico could Miky play the Santi role ?
    Is Miky more of playing in the wings ?

    Certainly from yesterday only one game with the team i am not sure .

  16. allezkev says:

    Great movement up front by Aubameyang, not seen an Arsenal striker stretch an opposition defence quite like that since Henry wore the 14.

    Mkhitaryan looks a very intelligent footballer, he seemed to bring the best out of Iwobi and Ramsey.

    The defence continues to be a worry, a better side would have punished us just as ManU actually did a few weeks ago.

    Now if we can win our next two games at Wembley then maybe things are turning, but with the Swansea shambles still fresh you’ll excuse me for not getting the flags out yet.

  17. Joaquim Moreira says:

    afternoon all.
    Nobody is concern about our defense and midfield to defend?
    We defend with the eyes and not like the legs and body!

  18. Kk says:

    JM, only membets of AW cult who are not concerned about our defense shambles..

    could do with few hamstrings and red cards at anfield today.

  19. rico says:

    Afternoon Kev, Alex and all.

    Thanks re the post Kk.

    Jm, most of us are worried about our defence and our defending. It’s dreadful…

  20. Goonster says:

    Lol was about saying the same thing Rico and kk. A few hamstring injury to eriksen and Kane ‘ll be welcomed and a red card for dembele and alli. Am not worried about the spuds. It’s a derby and any thing can happen. Set up to play on the counter and we might just blitz them. 451 without the ball and 352 when we have it. I have a good feeling for next week’s game. Been a long time we did the double on those swamp idiots. Afternoon lovely people.

  21. Goonster says:

    Tell me about it Rico. We have the ingredients just that the cook is an incompetent. If we set up like that at away grounds I have a feeling we ‘ll have won a few big games too. We have only won one game against the top 6 in 44 matches. That’s a very laughable stat. We play the same way home and away….gung ho. The Liverpool game comes to mind. Both our full backs were deep in the opposition’s half. Who does that?? Yep you guessed it arsene Wenger.

  22. Kk says:

    U have to say the spuds have very tough runs of games. ..manure, liverfool and a NL derby in a row. .with a midweek FA cup replay .
    They also travel to Juve after the NL derby.
    Can they cope?

  23. Goonster says:

    Hope Newcastle stays up. Have a soft spot for rafa. He’s one of those managers you just can’t help but love. Him Sean dyche and Eddie howe. Top men.

  24. Goonster says:

    Kk they have a good manager. I think they ‘ll cope just fine. Might burn out before the end of the season but poch is a good damn manager. He knows how to manage his troops.

  25. Goonster says:

    Lol you and me both Rico. I hate pardew like a plague but I ‘ll rather the 3 s’ go down. Swansea Southampton and stoke. God how I despise those Neanderthals. West brom we can save till next season???

  26. Goonster says:

    Kk his 100th won’t be a bother. He ‘ll score it anyway just want us to smash them. Like I said it’s been a while we beat them home and away.

  27. Kk says:

    wonder what the media would say about their 2 darling teams rico. .
    Would they blame the officals? Would they accuse kane of diving? ..
    Iam just glad it’s a draw.

  28. Goonster says:

    Looking forward to auba running past vertoghen and causing the scums a lot of trouble. I actually think we stand a chance if all our big players show up and of course if our manager picks the right team and tactics of course.

  29. Kk says:

    Van dijke 75 millions howler that should be the headline..lol
    Dippers can moan about the 1st penalty being offside, but kane didn’t covert it .so…still bad decision by the refs. .

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