Morning all.
Young Hector Bellerin has been offered a new contract. Smart move Arsenal, although I doubt him agreeing another four years will prevent Barcelona from sniffing around their old player any time soon. He must be enjoying life in the Arsenal fast lane right now and we can only hope that remains the case because this kid is only going to get better and he’s pretty darn good now..
Twenty years ago you could lose a game and people would say, ‘Next time Arsenal will play better’. Today you lose a game and it is always a crisis. – Arsène Wenger
I don’t suppose it’s just Arsenal fans who when having lost a game go into overdrive with criticism, but when we lose, it’s not always about the points dropped, it’s about how we have played. Like all of us, footballers are only human and will make the odd mistake during a work day (well, 90 minutes for them) but in football, one mistake can lead to three points dropped and that’s happened a bit too often over the last few years.
Arsène Wenger believes the pressure on players nowadays is greater than it has ever been before and looking at where we are right now, that pressure is rising.
Arsenal sit third in the Premier League, into the FA Cup semi-finals and we face one heck of a fight if we are to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League. I can’t see the latter happening to be honest as going to Monaco needing three goals and a clean sheet will be nearly as difficult as climbing Mount Everest.
The manager does all he can to ease the pressure but there’s only so much he can say to them and after that, it’s down to them to take responsibility:
We can only help so much, 99 per cent is down to the individual. We can push them over the line with the one per cent we can give, but 99 per cent is them having the responsibility to make their own life.
You have to stand up to be strong enough, to fight, to show that you have the courage and that you’re not inhibited because you’re under pressure, and that’s the difficulty of the modern player.
That has increased and the resistance to stress from the young players is immense today because everything is analysed. Every pass you make, every first touch, how far you run, how much you fight, everything.
The last bit of his comment is no doubt directed at the ‘know it all’s’ who sit behind a desk and type out some daft stats on certain players and print them in a newspaper article believing that just because a player covers 6 miles of the pitch during a game, he’s a hard worker. Poppycock I say, it’s what you do during a game, not how far you run.
Look at Danny Welbecks performance against Utd. I don’t think I’d be unkind or harsh to say that he was having a stinker on Monday night up front and nothing was going his way at all. Then, when it mattered, he did his job well and scored the winning goal but I’m sure if his stats for that game were analysed, they wouldn’t look pretty would they?
The reality is, that one goal stole the headlines and got Arsenal into the FA Cup semi-final and and of course, that victory gave us something we haven’t had in a long while, a victory at Old Trafford.
Not only will that have given Welbeck a whole lot of confidence but the entire club as a whole. Unlike if he had missed it, the pressure for him and the team would have risen enormously, just like it probably did for Ollie after the Monaco game. Thankfully, Ollie bounced back in the next game.
Tomorrow Arsenal have nothing to bounce back from, the players should be on a high, full of confidence and stress free after Mondays result as we face a West Ham side who have been struggling a bit of late. Let’s hope for some good football, plenty of goals and three big points for the home team…
Arsene Wenger will make a couple of changes from the side who won at Old Trafford:
I always rotate game by game but never more than two or three players. I will rest one or two without interrupting the balance of the team.
Maybe Theo Walcott will finally get a start….
That’s it for Friday, have a good day folks and no walking under ladders, not today…..
I am Spartacus..!
Good report rico, morning. Few more injuries for the Hammers. But not feeling sorry for them, I usually count six or seven for us each week (including Diaby).
That’s not what I’ve heard, Wath! Now, ‘Pastitboss’ sounds more like it!
Who Wath? 😉
Thanks Andrew – I don’t feel sorry for the Hammers injuries, welcome to our world eh… 😉
Good Morning to The Lady of the House and all fellow Gooners in residence.
Rico – Good article and great sentiments.
Wath – “I am Spartacus..!” Do you remember your history and what happened to everyone who uttered that phrase, including Spartacus himself. Crucifiction is a long, slow and painful way to go. At least wait until the end of the season.
That’s not what I’ve heard, Wath! Now, ‘Pastitboss’ sounds more like it!
Morning Cg, thanks…
Quiet old Friday….
It’s quiet cos I am stuck up this wooden pole………….. 😉
How you CG, I could think of better ways to go I’ll grant you that 😉
But least his mates stuck by him…. lol
Wavy you cheeky git… lol
Wath – I’m good, especially after our win up at Old Toilet.
As for Spartacus’ mates sticking with him, is that a case of great minds think alike or fools seldom differ? Call Granddad, I’m sure that old centurion will be able to get you down from that pole.
Stuck up pole” ?? Can you say that??
There’s just nothing to say, much……good article Rico, but I think we are still basking in the glory of Monday’s result. Let’s hope The irons don’t come and bites on the bum! Shouldn’t do they’ve had their five games of lying in the sun!
Hope Wenger doesn’t have rush of blood and put out a weakened team because he’s feeling over confident. That’s the way to upset the apple art and remind us of our place in the World!
Thanks Wavy – Monday sure gave us all a lift….
🙂 Wath.
Wavy – With Chelsea vs. Sotton, Manure vs. Tottenscum and Swansea vs. Liverfool this weekend; soem of our closest rivals are sure to drop points. This is an ideal opportunity for Arsenal to pull ahead of the competition. Therefor, we can’t afford to and Arsene shouldn’t field a weakened team against West Ham.
We should put out a full strength team to start and if we’re ahead by a couple of goals, bring off some of our critical players and give the kids a chance.
Good thing is AW has said tomorrows game is just as important as Tuesday’s. I don’t think we’ll see too many changes…
Flamini could be back in the quad but hope he stays on the bench…
31,799 tickets allocated to Arsenal for the semi-final…
How many seats does Wembley have?
Morning rico and housers…..big game tomorrow. Don’t underestimate the hammers guys. I ll take a routine one nil to the arsenal tomorrow. What time is the game again?
Rico, 90,000.
A quick, good afternoon all.
Koff, 3.00 pm on a Saturday! Who’d have thought it?
Proper football at a proper time. Hurrah for that!
10.00 am for you Goonie, if you’re 5 hours behind. Then you can have a celebratory lunch with your small one!
I’d settle for 2-0 to the Arsenal, but any win tomorrow for us will do.
I think wembley is 90000 capacity right? ?
Howdy Wavy What’s Cooking?
I actually think we ll turn them over if we the real arsenal show up. You just don’t know either these guys. One minute they are like the dutch team of the 1970s the next minute they are milwall!!!
Afternoon folks..
Thanks Bt, another 30,000 plus tickets going to plastics then…..
Hi goonster, how’s things?
Afternoon Rico and Stan. A 3-o-clock Saturday kick off seems somehow quaint these days.
Afternoon Adam. Unusual that’s for sure but then we are playing on Tuesday aren’t we? They’d have moved this one otherwise I suspect…
Am fantastic rico….thanks 😀 : can’t wait for thr game. I ve found my arsenal MOJO again 😀 :
good things come in twos like they said….10 months ago we were the laughing stock of the football world. trophyless was a word associated with our darling club. Fast forward a few months and we might have two in a year! I dont know about you guys but hey life is good 😀 :
A bit like Arsene then goonster….. 😉
Yes maam 😀 :
With the way lecoq is playing right now a french call up is not far away. That ll be the single biggest turn around in world football I ve ever known. A few months ago he was a nobody being pushed out of the door then bam he got his chance and never looked back. That’s a lesson for anybody out there. Opportunity plus position is equal to progress. Take a bow son take a bow.
Who’d have thought Goonie… 😉
Rico some of us saw the potential in him earlier in his arsenal career. That game at shite farting lane where he bossed the mid field. Even though we list but I remember saying to myself hmmmm that’s Coquelin guy is some player. Then he was shunted around the pack. one minute he was a eh then lb. Then gradually he was fazed out of the team. Am so happy for him. I saw it and am glad am vindicated. Come on you gunners 😀 :
Lol forgive my typing….hope that made some sense. Gee stan you Muppet get it together. You re embarrassing yourself. Sheesh.
Coquelin has been a real surprise Goonster, and I think Arsene got lucky when he recalled him. Especially as he was about to sell him…
Just back from Mars, that volcano I visited this morning has turned the area around it in to a different plant wow.
Plans for tomorrow find a bar to watch Arsenal 🙂
Best idea Joe…..
True that rico….when he broke into the team I saw somewhere on twitter can’t quite remember now but someone tweeted “lecoq runs into the space flamini points at” he’s exactly what we ve been craving for. Not the beastly 7 feet monster we want but a better more robust combative midfielder. And hey the stats don’t lie. He’s has made more tackles interceptions and clearance than an dm right now in the league. Matic who?? We ve got a bigger coq 😀 : come on. Yeeeeeeaaaaaah.
She wore she wore…
Chris Hoy tomorrow bit of a homer but also likes sticking it to Arsenal. Both lino’s not sure of the offside rule when it comes to Arsenal remember the away game at Everton this season.
Joe even Mike Riley can’t knock us off our stride right now. The whole club is buzzing. We just conquered our bogey team plus winning twice I Manchester. It ll take a coont of mammoth proportion to take us down. Am not overly worried. The Hammers ll get some hammering 😀 :
Next it’s that moronic morreno. I hope we beat them with a single goal. A John Terry own goal. I ll love to see the look on that smug bastard’s face after we beat him. Will he go over to our corner and shake arsene’s hand??? That’s a movie ll pay to watch 😀 :
Still think we need another alongside him goonster.
Goonster that sounds about right 🙂
Well that’s why we re getting shniedrlin (spelling ) maam. Him and lecoq to boss the middle against top 4 opposition and cl knock out stages but one of eachieve against mid table dead beats 😀 : I really think the Morgan deal is done and dusted. Lequipe don’t print shit. Plus arsene ll want to win the epl or cl before he leaves. He ll leave on a high maam. The fa cup victorie are just warm up exercises. We re gunning for the big one….the old big ears. Boy what a day that ll be….I ll probably jill myself
Once again am too excited hence my typing. I need to lay off the sauce. Gee sorry guys typo error.
Good Evening Lovelies and Hunkies.
You got a what Goonie?????? A very big Coq you said!!!!! I wonder how you manage to carry it.
where have you been you darned blonde arse. So long away from here. dont you dare of thinking to get away now. Wait till I get my hands on you you squirmy blonde toad.
Are you and the little one ok mate?
We’ll see re Morgan goonie – right now it’s just rumour…..
I’m off guys, Friday night and all that…
Night Goonie, Devil and all….
Hahahahahah devil you mong….an fine my man. Been very busy but am back now….how are you? The Little Prince still giving You a run around?
Night rico….
Good night Rico. T’morrow is another day. And I surely hope the boys continue to put a smile on our faces.
New post up now…
Morning all..
Morning All,
I know its after the lords mayors show rico,
But I thought Danny and Sanchez played great,
The mancs muck around at the back,passing back
to the keeper,and wenger played the right two up tops,
I thought danny got about them,
stopping and breaking up play,agree his ball control
at speed needs looking at,but that what you away from home.
Be a bit different today we should have more of the ball,
and play off the Quiff.