Morning all.
The news coming out of Arsenal this week has been positive. Gabriel Martinelli’s injury is minor and he’ll be back training by the end of the week. Thomas Partey and Gabriel are back in the squad but the big news has been the contract extension signed by Rob Holding. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the FA Cup Final in which he and Per Mertesacker were fantastic in defence together as we beat Chelsea 2-1. Holding had been superb in the semi-final too.
The big German defender had barely stepped foot on Arsenal grass all season and yet played out of his skin. He and Holding kept Costa in their pocket and had it not been for a Fabianski blooper, he’d have left Wembley without a goal to his name. Whilst Arsenal as a team were brilliant that day, Mesut Ozil had possibly one of his best games in an Arsenal shirt. Or at least that’s my memory of it. So yes I’m really pleased the club have tied Holding down for another few years and still only 25 years old, he’s plenty of Arsenal performances left in his legs yet.
In the League, weird things are going on. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his group of misfits have suddenly clicked and they’re top of the Premier League table and rather annoyingly, it was the defeat they suffered to us which began their turnaround. I don’t know what’s worse, them or Liverpool potentially winning the league. Maybe Aston Villa, with their two games in hand will go on a great run and shock the footballing nation. Maybe Everton or Southampton although all three will suffer a blip when Arsenal play them.
Whilst I’ve no doubt Mikel Arteta is telling his players that top spot is still there to aim for because results this season have been up and down for every club, I think that if Arsenal end in a Europa spot, it’ll be ‘acceptable’, certainly after where we’d fought back from. Nothing is guaranteed though. Three wins on the trot might be positive but seven wins out of seventeen is the reality.
The crazy thing is though, Utd have won just four more than us, Liverpool only one and apart from Leicester City and Everton who won ten fixtures, the chasing pack have notched up just seven or eight wins up until now. Drawing fixtures has been their difference.
Tonight we face Crystal Palace, a team Liverpool thumped 7-1, Villa too thrashed them 3-0 yet they held Leicester City to a draw in the last fixture of the year and then brushed aside Sheffield Utd 2-0. So it’s hard to know what kind of performance or spirit Roy Hodgson’s team will bring to The Emirates. Is anyone sure what kind of performance Arsenal will produce?
I’m optimistic, of course, that Mikel Arteta’s team selection and subsequent performance will be very similar to the one which battered both Chelsea and West Brom, or one which digs in hard as it did against Brighton and Newcastle so that Arsenal can build on this mini run of good results. If ever there’s a game in which AMN should play, it’s this one. If the player can keep Mahrez quiet for ninety minutes, he can do the same to Zaha. Honestly, I don’t understand him being overlooked so much this season, especially when we were struggling.
Two home fixtures needs two home two victories and nothing less. Utd have gone from being behind us in the table to the top so if they can, we can too. Or at least give it a bloody good go.
Arsenal need their captain Aubameyang back in form. He’s confident he will be. Sky Sports have quoted him as saying:
From the beginning of this season I was struggling a lot but I think this is part of football. We gave a lot at the end of the season to win the FA Cup and to qualify for the Europa League because it was really important for the club. Sometimes you have ups and downs and you have to manage as best you can. I tried my best and until now it was not the best performance from me. I’m still positive. I think I can turn this around.
It’s been clear Aubameyang has been struggling but perhaps he is just knackered. Last season was tough after the restart and to be fair to him, he was putting a shift in in every match. Lacazette has suddenly burst into life and watching him play with renewed energy and enthusiasm has been a pleasure. If Aubameyang can find the same kind of spirit then hopefully his goals will start flowing again. If he gets into the right place, Tierney, Saka or ESR will probably find him. If he’s not scoring goals, his contribution to the team is about as small as Pepe’s.
Anyway, I’m optimistic about tonight. I watched some highlights of Wolves 1-0 victory over Palace. Get an early goal and their defending goes to pot.
Lastly, during his press conference Mikel Arteta was questioned about our goalkeeping situation and he’s clearly concerned about it. So much so he said the club will ‘probably’ sign a keeper this month.
Transfer gossip.
Were linked to this guy. Manor Solomon who currently plays for Shakhtar Donetsk and Israel. A 21 year old winger. Yes he’d be cheap, but so was Gabriel Martinelli….
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9bWZcK8X5HM
See you in the comments.
I’ve always said that Arteta needs to play the Europa team and we will benefit with a mixture of experience and look what has happened exactly that keep it up at this rate we will finish top let alone 4th keep it up boys. We’re right behind you..👍
Thanks for the post Rico, it’s quiet on here for a game day…
Manor Soloman, you can see it now ‘A wise move by Arsenal’ or ‘The wisdom of Arteta as Soloman joins Arsenal’ etc etc etc…
Now I know zero about this guy and he might be great but a winger?
If we were all sitting in a pub talking Arsenal, a nice thought I’ll have a pint of Peroni, and we were discussing where in the team/squad we need strengthening then what positions would pop up, reserve goalkeeper for sure, left back cover for Tierney, maybe a right back, an attacking midfielder to complement Smith Rowe possibly and another defensive midfielder to ultimately replace Xhaka, but a winger? I don’t think so…
Maybe Arteta is looking for some pace up front, someone to stretch the opposition? A kind of Theo Walcott type and we are a bit slow on turnovers or breakaways or transition, take your pick, so that could be the plan. But I can’t help thinking that instead of using our meagre resources to sign some winger that we’d be better served using that finance to secure the future of Balogun…
Good morning Rico.
So we are linked with a twenty-one year old winger. Is he better than any of our academy youngsters.
What does it say to those kids who have been at Arsenal since nine years of age. Show dedication, work your way up through the age groups, until you are about to get a place in the first team squad and then find you’ve been gazumped by a foreign signing.
Morning all.
Guys, because we are linked to one player, doesn’t mean we aren’t looking at 8 others so I wouldn’t worry too much.
How often are rumours true anyway?
Scott until we can flog off, loan out or just release more than a few of the older players on higher wages who are not performing, there is little money available for transfers or wages. Surely in this most odd season Arteta should be looking in-house for his new first teamers. Otherwise what is the point of running an expensive academy in the first place?
Cicero, do you believe every media rumour you read?
Of course not.
Don’t stress it, and let’s see what happens.
Though asking what’s the use of our academy is pretty timely watching ESR strut his stuff.
One top class player every few years makes the investment worth it and he’s not the only youngster doing well.
Kev that’s exactly wot I thought, why would you want another winger.
Then I thought about it again and it’s probably not true.
Anyway back to yesterday’s comments and all that positive tripe about the spuds. I sincerely hope they are celebrating at the end of the season.
It’ll be there 60th anniversary of not winning the league, how many other so called big teams can say that.
https://theathletic.com/news/arsenal-premier-league-garlick-football/MzYDTFpAHYw0
Comes with mixed reviews from his time at West Brom , let’s hope it is purely legal services and nothing to do with selecting players.
Ist job :- Secure Balogun.
Afternoon all,
Let’s keep up the momentum. No need to change the team, maybe Martinelli/Partey off the bench.
I hear Luiz might be offered another year?
COYG
Just a thought……..Luiz? Is he the godfather to all our Brazilian recruits? The equivalent of their Nandy McPhee?? Will he be joining the BFGs Kindergarten set, I wonder? To be fair he is still a more than adequate squad player and he does seem very popular with all the players. Just saying.
Tonight should be a routine win, or would have been 15 years ago! Saw them beat Palace 5-0 in a night game at Highbury back in the day. TH14 was absolutely world class that night. He was a real treat. Back this evening 2-0 would be good. Think we’d all be reasonably happy with that, well, any positive result in the
Arsenal’s favour.
Afternoon all, good lead-up rico. What’s the betting Zaha performs tonight? As long as we score more and win. You just never know what we will do, a quick start and early goal would be nice, I hate needing a 2nd half comeback because we start sluggish. Go for them lads and let’s hope we welcome Partey back. No more reds this season please.
Evening guys. Thanks Andrew.
I’m of the same opinion, a winger we do not need. Certainly not until Nelson has had a bit of a run. A keeper and securing Balogun and I’d be pretty happy. However, goodness only knows what Edu and Arteta are thinking. These are the guys who sold Martinez for a mere £20m after all.
Kev, I reckon Bola, Chambers, Saka, AMN and Cedric will cover the full back positions. If they’re all at the club on the 1st Feb that is.
A new director of football eh. Never heard of him. Lol
Richard Garlick role.
“His responsibilities will include football operations in the first team and academy, all player contract management and relationships with football’s governing bodies.”
Oh well, we know who to blame for contracts running down in future. Lol
60 years eh Mog?
Well I’ll drink to that and here’s to the next 60 years…
Somebody on Arseblog News commented that we’d got rid of a geezer who looked like Nosferatu and replaced him with garlic…. Well I laughed…
I got lost at Nosferatu Kev. Lol
Garlick is a lawyer so he should get on with Tim Lewis…
There’s been an element of sloppiness at the heart of our club for a year or so, contract mishaps, logjams with agents, paperwork not signed, loan transfers not concluded, players not registered and it’s looked very unprofessional and makes me wonder why we have so many staff at Highbury House and wtf are they all doing?
Let’s hope that Garlick can sort it out…
It make me feel hungry Rico, I keep thinking of garlic nan… 😋
No Tierney tonight, Luiz is in with Holding and AMN… hmmm.
no Elheny too even at the bench
Leno
Bellerin
Holding
David Luiz
Maitland-Niles
Ceballos
Xhaka
Saka
Smith Rowe
Aubameyang (c)
Lacazette
Substitutes
R. Rúnarsson
Gabriel
Willian
Cédric Soares
Partey
Pepe
Chambers
Willock
Nketiah
Must admit Kev, they popped into my mind too. Nomnom.
Good evening everyone
Just read the reason for Tierney’s and Mari’s omission. And while I agree with that I still prefer to have gone with them. But its better if they are rested. Especially Tierney who has been playing game in game out. Not fair on the lad.
Against NUFC Luiz had a good game. I hope that he has another good one today as well. As Wavy pointed out…..he seems popular among the players. Maybe with Holding as his partner he focuses more and plays better??
We need to go for an early goal for a change. If we get that we can be able to open them more easily. And honestly….I am always expecting someone to get a hiding soon. When it will all fall in place and we murder the opposition..
Missing Tierney already. AMN back to being casual. Glad to see Ceballos on the ball, Xhaka great tackle, did I just say that! He has actually been one of our better layers, last few matches.
It seems that Laca, Xhaka and Luiz are the highest beneficiaries with regards the enthusiasm generated by the young players. They seem to enjoy being daddy to those around them.
Yes, AMN is having a stinker so far.
Disappointing first half.
Gone back two weeks
You would think AMN would be champing at the bit, I just don’t get the guy. He has pace and skill, but frustrates me with his attitude, looking laidback and a lack of energy, or maybe I’m misreading him. Thank you Leno and the woodwork! I’m just hoping Partey comes on and gees the team up.
AMN is no substitute for Tierney and Aubameyang is not going to get the service that the Scotsman provides from him.
We need to change something, but I don’t know what.
Come on then Pepe, prove yourself.
Hmm no concerns over non social distancing goal celebrations tonight.
We missed Tierney.
We really shouldn’t rely on a left back to create any chances. Had looked really forward to this.
Why don’t you finish at the entrance to the area?
They want to take the ball in short tables to the goal line …
Luiz is very slow and does not transmit speed
I think Auba’s shoulders dropped about 60 minutes in . He made runs but the ball went back and square mainly Luiz.and Xhaka who ran out of steam last 20 . I would have hooked him before Lacazette
Hopefully Tierney will get back soon 3 points against Newcastle and it’s all back on the road again.
3 steps forward, one backwards.
We will be fine.
Tierney is our one truly elite footballer, for a left back to be our most influential player says it all really about our squad, Smith Rowe made some really good runs but was ignored as the square and backwards passes came back into our game.
Maitland Niles was atrocious, his passing was Sunday morning football standard and explains maybe why Arteta doesn’t trust him more often.
Finishing let us down again, the Palace goalkeeper had every effort from us straight down his throat, but Leno was top notch again fortunately. We could have lost that game so I guess that that’s some form of progress.
This squad has no chance of top four. We are a cup team and will be for as long as we are owned by the Kroenkes…
Tierney to undergo an MRI scan tomorrow.
As much as we’d like to, as would he, we can’t play guys like this every game, unfortunately.
Not our best game but I will take the draw over a lose any day but we still have a long way to go before we are a top 6 side.
Geoff,
Well said.
As it stands, the defence seems pretty solid and that’s not a bad basis to build on.
It ain’t perfect, but it’s a lot better than it’s been for years.
Good Morning everyone.
I dont see yesterday’s result as a step backwards. Especially taking into consideration our squad and the present situation.
Some positives that can be gained from yesterday……..The defence has not conceded for four games in a row. The Chavs were the last team to score one against us. In the league its 3 consecutive clean sheets. And we have the third best defence now. Which considering all factors is good. So the defence is getting back to being solid. Even though he did not play yesterday it is evident that Tierney has a lot of influence on those around him. He is a solid defender but more than that he is a good role model and a leader who leads by example. AMN does not have the same drive, aggression and does not make the same runs.
AMN yesterday played a role different to the one he usually does when on the right and when he was deputizing for Bellerin last season…….yesterday he was going up and down the pitch. But with Auba in front of him that does not work. Auba needed to protect him and that stifles him. Auba can work when Tierney is overlapping but this does not work with AMN. The latter is more effective when he plays as a FB but instead of bombing forward he tucks in the midfield forming a solid base and allowing Bellerin (on the right) to overlap on the other side. When AMN overlaps the left is exposed. Personally I think Soares would have done better yesterday. If AMN had to play a game it should have been against NUFC in the FA cup as a right back. And Soares should have gone on the left. We must remember that AMN prefers to play in midfield so its normal that his level goes down when he is asked to play on the left and overlap up and down the wing. So basically yesterday was a case of a square peg in round hole.
ESR and Saka play a lot better when they are together with Martinelli. Take one out of the equation and the other two suffer a bit. Yesterday they were quiet which was to be expected. They are still young and cannot carry the team on their shoulders.
Why didnt Arteta take out Auba instead of Laca. Granted, Auba is the captain, but that does not excuse him from being hauled off. He had a stinker again I felt. Did he bring anything to the team yesterday?? He was not making any runs and that is why passing back and sideways returned. There was no one making runs on the left to whom to pass the ball to. even if Ozil was there he would not have had anyone to pass to and we would label him as lazy. But who in reality was to blame.
So considering the circumstances and squad yesterday was not bad that much. At least we kept another clean sheet.
Morning Devil,
A step sideways then 🙂
Just pointing out the fact we will have little blips along the way and that’s acceptable imo, as long as things are headed the right way on a whole.
yes Rico that is an appropriate way to look at it. A step sideways. Yes it was a dull uninspring match. But as you said, we will have blips along the way. a case in point – in the Invincibles season we had 12 draws. yes I know that many say that that is way too many…..but it also means that we did not lose. Had we lost yesterday then yes it would have been a step backward. But as it is we kept a clean sheet. and did not lose. and gained a point. And all this when we had both Tierney and Martinelli absent. Luiz played instead of Mari’ and that may also have contributed since as much as Luiz did not put a foot wrong he is different to Mari. Luiz slowed the game a bit since he kept coming out from the back trying to play the ball whereas Mari would have gone safety first and the service would have been quicker.
It was not a step forward mind you. But I prefer to look at it in a positive light. Arteta is doing the best he can with what he has. and gaining a point here and there instead of the wins that many want (but deep down know that we cant achieve) instead of losing will always be a step in the right direction.
Rico is still sleep mate, it’s just you and I atm hahahaha
Just read that we have 17 players out on loan and only 3 are our senior players if this is correct then we need to cut back on the amount of players on loan and start selling some of them.
Trouble getting on had to revert to E-Mail link . Tierney drives past Auba when he plays and Auba drifts to the left . This means that Auba can move inside to where he is dangerous. With AMN he gets trapped on the touchline . I said last night that I would have taken him off for Nketiah rather than Lacazette but that’s a diplomatic choice I would think.
It was turgid but probably because too many players looked tired to me and the ” fresh legs ” don’t have the same impetus , it was laboured and although we never really looked like losing apart from when Zaha went for his customary dives with his puppy dog eyes appealing for his penalty they never really threatened .
It’s a draw , it could be worse , hopefully by the time we get Newcastle the batteries will have been recharged and we can go forward from there.
It’s the way you walk Scott. 😉
Geoff I don’t doubt that were we able to sell them then we would . However take the Guendouzi situation
Outcasted Arsenal midfielder rejects chance to join club for €30m, wants much bigger move.
He ‘s not interested , only wants Barca , Real madrid PSG or Bayern .
Seems that humility has not come with his loan .
12 of the loanees are in the academy squad so that’s probably right for their development but the 5 first team members are , Guendouzi , Saliba , Kolasinac , Mavropanos and Torriera .Who apart from \Saliba we have been trying to sell but can’t get rid due to the general lack of money.
the problem is Guendouzi over rates him self. He needs to settle down and prove to every one that he can play the game at the highest level
Cheeky bugger Scott, I’ve been looking after the old and infirm. 😂
New post up now