Morning all
Another Monday night fixture for Arsenal today.
Tonight we face one of the newly promoted sides in Bournemouth, a club which has had its problems in the past. In fact they are in trouble again this season for overspending during the 2014/15 transfer window and could face a hefty fine.
Regardless, the club is in a good place in the league and they’ve come an awful long way since going into administration back in 2008, a time when managers came and went all too often. Eddie Howe was given the job of caretaker manager at just 31 years old and after gaining promotion, he jumped ship for Burnley but not much time passed before he returned to the South coast and turned Bournemouth into a Premier League side. Whether they remain there is a different question but right now, they look like they will.
Arsenal have a long-term sponsorship deal with The Emirates and Puma with Europcar in there somewhere too, Bournemouth are backed by The Mansion Group whom play a big part in keeping the clubs finances in good shape and should assure there’s little chance of the problems they suffered back in 2008 returning.
Bournemouth are doing pretty well of late, having beaten Chelsea, Utd and West Brom, although the latter had a couple of players sent off. Their last match was a tough, yet well earned draw against Crystal Palace.
There are no fresh injury concerns and with a very little in reserve, I suspect we’ll see the same side turn out again, although I seriously hope Gabriel comes in for Mertesacker.
Just two days ago, Arsenal travelled to the South coast and got truly battered by a Southampton side who wanted the victory far more than Arsenal. We were over-run, outplayed and utterly outfought. The performance on Saturday was possibly one of the worst this season and if we are to get back to winning ways, we need to see a much better performance this evening.
Our boys need to ‘man up’ and get back to winning ways before the chance of the Premier title starts slipping away.
COYRRG’S!!
Boom. Wake up you lads.
Morning Rico and All,
What about tonight’s game?
Hope to win.
Holiday’s hangover still.
and my holiday wine still got me confused that we actualy beat the crap out of Soton.
But it’s the other way around.
Howe’s Bournemout and his players can copy paste the tape of soton massacre now,
it’s manual book is known well in public to how to beat our arse in bottler’s game.
Morning Orf and all..
I’ve been up for hours but that’s because women have a lot more to do… 😉
Hope this Arsenal team don’t have any further hangovers, Saturday was bad enough!
Morning everybody.
You would think that this will be a routine 2 or 3 nil win, but we are talking Arsenal here and nothing is ever straight forward, is it?
Without Cazorla we are one creative player down and a significant one at that. His absence wasn’t the reason we lost to Soton but it did help them in their quest for a result, plus a little help from an over generous referee, but his role in the team is almost irreplaceable, imo. Tonight we need a much tighter and better co ordinated defence and midfield if we are to win, and win comfortably. However, if Bournemouth and Boscombe come out flying at our wobbly defence, we could be embarrassed again! Pray it doesn’t happen!
A new defensive midfielders? An Egyptian international? Cheap? Almost unknown?msounds like a typical Wenger signing! It’s probably true! Roll on New Year’s Day. I can’t wait!
Morning Rico and all. They need a solid win today for sure.
Wavy, after Saturday, you’d like to think we’ll see a reaction and a much better performance…
Morning Adam. They certainly do…
Hi all
I guess if we do sign the Egyptian guy at least there is no ACN in 2016!
Good Morning Lovelies and Hunkies.
Just a win Adam???? any win??? After beating Shitty (it should have been 4-0 not 2-1) practically the same team got slaughtered. So imo we should be beating teams like Southampton and Bournemouth to the tune of 5-0.
Remember, its the same team. And this only points out to one of the following reasons……
1) either the team is schizophrenic
2) or games are thrown and results fixed beforehand
3) tactics and mentality are not good enough
Please refrain from stating the players are not good enough. The same team beat shitty, the same team won against Bayern etc etc.
Its getting tedious…..when AFC win, the team is good, when it looses the team is not good enough and all sorts of excuses.
Tiredness is acceptable imo, however we must keep in mind that other teams have tired players as well.
He’s not CL tied either Bob… lol
Devil, I think AW and the team thought they’d win 5-0 too, maybe that was the problem..
Morning all.
No predictions form me other than the referee will have an impact 🙂 🙂
As I said Rico….one of the above reasons is the mentality and tactics were not up to standard.
However, I have noticed a pattern which do point to reason number 2 as well. And imo the league is being kept close to each other for interest. At least up till January/February. imo its influenced by book makers.
Morning, A bad result, like Saturdays could breed negativity, so lets hope we can get back to winning ways. We were shocking sat, no fight, Didn,t test the keeper, we will lose games through the season, thats a given, but it,s the way we lose games. I’ve seen it happen 2 many times. We fail to turn up, create nothing & look totally uninterested.
Good morning all
Lets hope he shuffles a few players. we need to retain the ball and not play gung ho. They are a decent side, maybe not as good as Southampton but dangerous enough. I would take a 1 nil win all day.
Rumour has it he will rest Flamini and start the Ox in place of Campbell. Otherwise its the same team tonight.
I personally would drop Theo and Giroud , and play without a striker. Call it anti football, we should just shut up shop and grab a 1 nil through the ox or from a set piece. We could always spring them from the bench. Id like to see gabriel in the CDM alongside Ramsey. Could be very interesting,
Iwobi as much as he looks decent is nowhere near ready for the 1st team.
I have noticed a pattern which do point to reason number 2 as well. And imo the league is being kept close to each other for interest. At least up till January/February. imo its influenced by book makers.
Have you seen the football is fixed site which raises a large number of questions on it’s front page.? Such as :-
If referees in the Premier League earn a couple of grand per week while officiating on matches with global betting volumes of £5 billion,
If referees for all Premier League games are selected by just one individual;
If referees work with agents to promote the agents’ clients on the field of play,
If referees are at the root of most matchfixing crises:
If bookmakers accept insider trading merely treating it as competitive advantage in the marketplace,
If bookmakers trade such knowledge at dark pool poker tables of corruption;
If bookmakers own football clubs and, on occasions, coerce players to perform appropriately,
If bookmakers create spot markets to corrupt the minutiae of in-play actions:
If agents are non-regulated and are the primary lubrication of criminalities in the sport,
If agents work together in a fragmented cartel to pool ownership of players to solicit matchfixing;
If agents are engaging in third party ownership and the trafficking of children from developing countries,
If agents pay backhanders to managers to pick certain players for mutual benefit:
If institutional bodies decide on winners and losers according to private agendas of power and marketing,
If institutional bodies incorporate systemic corruptions at top levels of the game;
If institutional bodies established to monitor insider trading and matchfixing are infrastructurally compromised,
If there are no global, EU or governmental actions to confront these corruptions:
If clubs, owners, managers, referees, agents, administrators and players bet on the outcomes of games,
If clubs exert power over lesser clubs in the same leagues with agreed outcomes being the norm;
If clubs focus more on unearthing lucrative marketing deals than on winning trophies,
If clubs built on debt can only survive by matchfixing their games:
If coercion, threats, menaces, violence and murders are the primary modes of controlling non-acquiescent individuals,
If transnational organised crime and global mafiosi are actively involved at all levels of corruption;
If suitcases of cash and offshore illicit money flows are the norm in financial transactions,
If there are administrators who facilitate these corruptions based on laissez faire capitalism:
If the Fit-and-Proper-Person Test results in clubs being owned by entirely unfit and entirely improper individuals,
If owners take over clubs to asset strip and to monetise the debris via inversion capitalism;
If money laundering, fraud, utilisation of offshore financial centres and beneficial ownership is the norm,
If clubs are held offshore for tax and/or regulatory avoidance to the benefit of the owners:
If spurious and fake arguments are repeatedly made against the use of video technology in the sport,
If there are no laws against insider trading and no Commitment of Traders’ reports;
If there is widespread use of performance enhancing substances and their related masking agents,
If the market capitalisation of major clubs is dwarfed by global betting turnover on any of their matches:
If fans and the public are kept in the dark about all these machinations due to a blackout by the mainstream media,
If there is nowhere for whistleblowers to go with information about corruptions;
If the reward for being a criminalised player is a lifelong role as a media analyst or commentator,
If huge fortunes are being made while meritocracy is always trumped by the performativity of corrupt practices:
Then FOOTBALL IS FIXED as is everything within it,
You have to say that there is enough to make you think that at least some of the answers must be yes.
Thankfully performances like that are rarer these days, but it still happens.
Put into perspective, No massive damage done, but again a big opportunity missed
Untold have been stating we cop a raw deal PLUS offering irrefutable statistics that show its rigged, yet most laugh at them.
Not sure why, but people find them a joke, though they’re as pro-Arsenal as you’d find, yet love groups like Le Grove who are anti Arsenal, IMO.
Strange situation for mine.
Maybe they do go a bit overboard, but the statistics they produce simply cannot be ignored.
At least two years before I heard anyone else complain, they showed how poorly we perform when Mike Dean officiates.
That’s just a quick one.
Hi Rico,
Trust you had a lovely Christmas.
The Southampton result was a surprise to say the least. Wenger can point out that Southampton played a physical game but he will know that In the Premier League, teams will do their homework and try to beat Arsenal in ways that suit their particular game plan. Sometime you need players to dig in and tackle hard but fairly. We still are fairly lightweight when it comes to putting in a winning challenge but today against Bournemouth I would expect more of the same, as in closing us down, giving us no time and a bit of roughing up as well.
Definitely play Gabriel but again not a lot to offer from our bench when changes are needed.
I’ll take a 1-0 today, with the roller coaster performances of late in mind.
Well Moss and his two lino’s certainly influenced Saturday’s result, of that I am 100% convinced…
No question, Rico.
There display matched ours….and that’s saying something lol.
Off for a kip now…catch you all in a few hours.
Rico , agreed the ref was poor as were the officials, but we had no fight as a team
Potter. Interesting and I would add that there has always been a total reluctance for any sort of thorough investigation into the sort of stuff that we saw from the referees against Chelsea and Southampton. Corruption or incompetence? This could be an argument that vanishes if and when technology is introduced to review on-field decisions. As we see though the left hand of Sky or the appalling BT Sport shakes the hand of the PL so, in whose interest is it to put ref’s under the microscope?
It took the American authorities to prise open the FIFA can of worms, despite everyone knowing for years and years that the whole organisation was totally bent. Rico and Kev could tell you disturbing stories that I told them about another individual, now banned, several years ago. When people like Mike Dean and that oaf Moss from the other evening hide in plain sight and Fergie’s old accomplice Riley is calling the shots you better believe that the fix is in. Somewhere along the line money will be involved and it seems it’s not in the interests of those that milk fans money from the game to open a can of worms that would kill the PL stone dead and curtail their own activities and screw their investments.
Hi Marinello.
I did thank you, and I hope you did too…
Any kind of win would do me tonight tbh….
And we need more than just Nellie the elephant next month… 😉
I agree only with one thing George…..Gabriel as a CDM. Otherwise imo no, not without Ollie. Drop one of Theo or Campbell for Ox yes. But not Ollie.
Ollie was bad last game for only one reason…..service was not coming. Southampton did get right two tactics…..put a player on Kos even when he did not have the ball (that made Per pass only forward) and also put a player between the team and Ozil. So defence and midfield were cut off while the attack was isolated.
Other than that Southampton got good decisions from the ref.
So suggesting Ollie be dropped is not exactly a good thing.
i am all in favour of resting Per though. Gabriel should play imo.
Night Scott..
George, there’s no denying we were dreadful, but so were the officials but I don’t blame them for our performance, just three goals which probably should never have been allowed…
Potter…..some of those questions I have always asked myself. And tbh its not only in England, but also in Italy and some of the Mediterrenean countries. You see a sort of pattern….teams keeping close to each other till end January. certain games which are influenced by refereeing decisions, by the time of their kick off, by every thing.
And imo as well, I feel that players are in this as well.
Too many questions.
And as you said……some of them are bound to have a YES answer written all over them.
Spot on Devil with regards Southampton tactics. The officials were rank awful but moving onto the Bournemouth game we need to show more spine when or if the roughing up starts.
Hi All
Hope we are going to stamp out this devil thing…Saturday was bad day in the office but too much the margin was not good at all. lets hope the best and praying for the same too.
Adam, just why I am 100% behind technology in the game, regardless of whether it slows things down for seconds/minutes because fairness has to get into football.
No wonder AW is right behind it too as his teams have been hard done by over the years imo…
Rico,A few reports saying the Elneny deal is all but sealed, medical Wednesday.
but also suggesting it is highly likely to be the only business we,ll do this Window, and it wouldn,t surprise me if true. so maybe we should just expect nothing.
Saying that Elneny,s Passing stats for his Europa league games are very encouraging,hitting over 80 and is top passer every game. Obviously a real Wenger type player.
Dublin, I read the same.. I know nothing about him tbh so haven’t a clue what to expect. ‘A younger Flamini’ some say… lol
Walk time so catch up later
Thanks Devil, looks a quality player. can spot some terrific long ball passes too.
Could be a steal,people probably put off by the price tag, but some of Wengers best signings have been cheap and unknown.
Some AW signings which were 10mill or less (present team only)……..
Cech (10), Bellerin(2.50, Monreal(8.3), Kos(10), Aaron(5), Coquelin (nominal fee), Campbell(1.5), Theo (originally 12mill but later reduced to 9mill).
That is 8 players for less than 50million.
Obviously I am not including Arteta, Flamini (free), TR07 as they are not 1st teamers anymore.
If Elneny proves to be successful and a becomes a world star on the same level as Koscielny then 5mill will see AW make a mockery of the huge fees that many managers make when spending large millions on a player.
Yes, AW can be frustrating many times, however he does unearth diamonds.
I say drop giroud. .. Put walcott up top ox even thou i don’t rate him on the wing use pace now this will give ozil more space too with teams playing deep fairing walcotts pace
Arsenal just love breaking hearts.. Wenger said we have veen here before and the players went out and did f.. .ry. . It is a fact arsenal is soft soap. Every time we get the chance to lead the table we flatter to deceive… Its like its fixed so go to the betting shop and place a money against them everytime there is a chance for them to lead the table.. Ffs
And i have to say ramsey should stick to the wing curse wenger all u want cazorla did more defending than what ramsey currently offers. . Plus if elnenny really joins i say play him box to box and push ramsey back wide.. . Also it really frustrating when ppl say we don’t have dept when we have two player out injured for almost a year wilshere and welbeck wtf is there problem they r killing us it makes no sense having home grown players who cant stand up to the physical nature of the prem.
The thought of tottham winning sucks
Every time i read this blogg on match days arsenal lose i hope it doesn’t happen today.. Jinx lol
in this article it is claimed that Elneny is a done deal while Brozovic could join him. If true then it means that surely this will be the last season of Arteta, TR07 and Flamini. It will also put doubts on JW10 ever being what he was destined to be. And it means his injury is more serious than we are led to believe.
Summer of 2014 I had said we should sell him. That still holds imo. We are carrying Jack and while on his day he is a good player, however, his continuous injuries and also his questionable stats during games imply that AW should simply move him on. Too long we have carried players like Diaby, TR07 and now Arteta and JW. Yes, they were/are all good midfielders and both TR07 and Arteta were and will remain two of my favourite players, both as a supporter and a coach. But life goes on and we have to think of the future. If we get both Elneny and Brozovic then it means that Jack might soon join the has beens list.
http://www.punditarena.com/football/english-football/arsenal/jmurphy/reports-claims-arsenal-will-move-for-inter-and-leverkusen-stars-in-january/
Raising we should just be done with wilshere wenger as said he can’t give a timeline for his return following his recent set back.. These things r hurting us badly we need to make a decision we cant continue to suffer
Hope we go to the 1st place today again and stay there until the end of the season.
I’ waiting for the game.
I’m watching totts and Everton. I like Watford central forward (Igalo). He scored again for Watford against Totts. 🙂
Afternoon All…
Afternoon Rico.
Our cricketers did OK in South Afrika today, albeit against a poor side…
So pleased for Compton. Never thought that he deserved to be dropped in the first place…
Serge Gnabry ignored again by Tony Pulis.
Bring him home…
Afternoon Kev and all…
Spot on re Compton.. Thought the boys did rather well tbh, helped by Nel going off injured and a few dropped catches…
Shanice, if that’s true re you reading HH, then don’t any more 🙂
Re Elneny, I too will judge him on his play, not price tag, fingers crossed if he does arrive, he hits the ground running and makes a difference to our limp midfield….
Peace cannot be kept by force;
It can only be achieved by understanding.
Hi Rico ?
Kev, Toral assists again.
Gabriel in for Kos…
Chambers in for Flamini…
Cheers BT…
He could be a late developer for us, he did lose a year to injury…
Bloody Scummers winning again. ?
Rico, some interesting changes…
Not what to think about them…?
OC starts too..
Three changes, very unlike AW…
Not sure what
Stoke won 4-3 at Everton!!!
Totts won again, today against 10 in the 2nd half (after the 63th minutes), but the goal was off-side (clear) before the cross and then, doubts, because the image is not clear.
so, Totts and stoke 6 point won in those 2 days.
Make that 4, Gibbs at left back….
Hope they pay off Kev…
Totts very lucky Jm….
I hope Wenger is ringing the changes for the right reasons, you know rotation, and not because he thinks Bournemouth are easy meat and there for the taking, à la his CL selection bloopers!
Should be at least 2-0 but how predictable are this side?
Off for some early tea. May be back with the odd comment later.
Against Southampton I noticed that their players dragged down our players to their level and then beat us through experience.
I am noticing the same again…….we are being dragged down to their level. The passing style has given way to direct football only. We need to think calmly. We need to THINK.
Davil. As long as they don’t score first, because panic will set in.
Good Evening Rico and All.
Evening Ng.
No access to the game….
22 minutes and we have not registered one shot on target yet.
Possession we are just edging it ahead. But if you dont shoot you can never score.
finally we got that one shot.
Gabby… 🙂
A goal from a corner. Well I never….
Good one by Gaby.
A thumping header.
Morning all
Solid start.
How did he miss that????? 😀
Merts or Walcott?
That was a stone wall penalty on the OX.
Devil, that ball hit Merts in the head….he didn’t even see it coming, poor, slow Bugger lol
Merts. I agree he was unlucky as it came off the post and hit his face……but I feel it was easier to score than to miss.
Probably was, Devil, but he had no say in it lol.
http://arsenalist.com/f/2015-16/arsenal-vs-bournemouth/post-another-great-ozil-corner-per-with-a-great-chance.html
Gabriel has had more headed attempts on target in one half than Merts has all season, I’d say.
Merts lack of size obviously has an impact.
🙂 Scott re Merts.
why did we not shoot from outside?
could be 2-0 at half time
We need a 2nd to kill them off. Then we need to keep a clean sheet…..so that Cech will get record.
Sean woke up at 4.20am to watch the game when my alarm went off.
He was back asleep by 4.22 am.
Bless him…
How’s Chambers doing at DM?
Ozil makes it 2-0
Assist or scorer. Does it make a difference.
Give him the number 10 now.
Good, 2-0…
Rido, I think he’s doing very well.
Devil, sensational goal but what about the return pass from Giroud??
For a big man, he has sublime touch.
Theo’s work rate is up by a fair distance and guess what, so is his performance lol
Hand in hand.
Thanks Scott, good to hear…
Chambers is doing fine. He does get stuck in, and now I see what has AW seen in him as a DM. Chambers is slow as a CB and its a major responsibility as a last line of defender. But as a DM I feel he can play there and grow in the position. He does not have the agility and speed of Coquelin or Flamini, but he is doing fine.
But remember its Bournemouth not Wanyama.
I want a third one. we need to up the goal difference again….to recover from that mauling two days ago.
Devil, you’re the winner hahaha.
I was waiting someone, somewhere saying on Chambers “it’s only Bournemouth”, and my reply has been loaded and ready….he’s only a baby 🙂 🙂
You’re spot on, of course, but it’s promising down the line.
Ox has been good.
Haha.
yes i agree its promising. but he has a long way to go.
He is technical and tries to play the ball. But he has not got Coquelin’s presence in the team yet.
imo he is more of a Pirlo type player…..positional sense, passing, trying to get himself out of trouble.
Coquelin keeps it simple…..win the ball (by hook or by crook) and pass it to Cazorla/Ozil.Aaron.
time will see Chambers develop in the Arteta mould.
But I hope AW gets another midfielder in. We need bite.
For Sure, Devil.
He’s a while away, but the ability is there, I’d say, but a year or two.
Maybe a loan spell where he could play DM regularly would push him along.
yes we need another defender as JW10 has been ruled out at least till February.
But …….”Which February is it”…..2016/17/18/19/20????
Jacks not a defender though… Lol
Oyyy mates……Ozil scored the 2nd goal. I wonder if he assisted the goal as well??? 😉
lol
Good result and just what the dr ordered…
I’m off guys, night all….
170 clean sheets by Cech.
A superb record. and he still has at least three more years at the top.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT LADS……….HE’S OURS.
Is Rido back? ?
Top of the League, it’s a shambles… ?
Well not necessary a good win in my view yes happy for the three points but ffs score more goals we had the chances but of course as usual miss them
Soton lose 2-1 at West Ham…
What? No dodgy goals for Saints…
Oh Southampton lost?? ? Good.
2-0….
My conclusion: If it had less 30-35 years, I cler took place in the Arsenal team and I was the most valuable player!
Shanice, we fucking won.
After the debacle two days ago, that’s all that counts.
Top of the league and you’re complaining?
Hilarious stuff lol.
Kev, we are a club in crisis.
Night All….
Hoping for a draw tmrw leciester vs man city that put us back in second. . Thats y i wanted at least two -three more goals
I know Scott, I can hardly get to sleep at night worrying about it…,
Yes even in victory u can make improvements / find faults..
We should be top of the league by at least four points today not one
And plenty will whinge regardless….rue losses and celebrate wins-that’s what football is about.
Kev, I’m standing on the ledge wondering whether to jump or not.
I mean, ONLY 2-0 and JUST top of the League-what’s a boy to do?
Dennis Law, upon being asked what he thought of the present United side……….
Question……If the team of 1969 played the present United team who would win and by how much??
Dennis Law……My team would win 1-0.
Question…….Why just 1-0? A line up of Best, Charlton and yourself.
Dennis Law…..Well you have to remember that George is dead while those who are still alive are in our 70’s.
Dennis Law is a fucking LEGEND.
Classic stuff, Devil.
A good win tonight right after that mauling on Saturday, and Spurs getting the win today.
Also glad to see kos, monreal and campbell get a rest. Home to Newcastle next another physical battle no doubt let’s hope we turn up.
Elneny looks a player I hope we get him.
Lol my bad if leic and city draw tmrw arsenal remains top of the league
Rico…..inbox. match report.
Good night Lovelies and Hunkies. And sweet dreams.
Just got home. The replacements were great today. Gabriel and Chambers in particular were extremely composed. A few bummer performances but overal and after Southampton you gotta be happy.
Ozil masterclass and the second goal was fantastic.
Potter your 12:02PM is spot on…
So far as 99% believe its all coincidence…; it always washes well.
Potter you are right, I think. Eg spuds and Watford, Alke off, when hornets looking good and spuds crap, game changed a little, well a lot and guess what, final minute the shitehawks score an offside winner! Well who would have thought it? Fix, no not in England FIFA don’t bend the rules here nor do the betting tongs…….yeh right! Bent as a nine Bob note! Imo. Or allegedly, or perhaps! Nah I reckon it’s bent, and has been for years. But how do you catch the Benders? Deep throat needed? Who will stand up to be counted? I know lets call in Ben Johnson or Carl Lewis or dig up Flo Jo!. It really does my head in. Level playing field, as Potter suggested, get technology in and there can be little doubt that results are genuine. I can see no reason why it hasn’t been embraced already. Well I can really……..can you?
The league is there for taking, get the needed additions and go for it and stop penny-pinching with hope and luck.
Good morning lovelies and hunkies.
How are you feeling? I am feeling on top of the table.
Did yyou check inbox Rico?
I’m always happy, Devil 🙂
I just watched he replay, and I can’t split Ozil and Gabriel for MOTM.
Gabriel was even better than at first viewing-his positional play and timing of challenges was absolutely first rate.
Ozil was just Ozil lol
Morning Orf, Devil, Scott and all…
Inbox Devil? At this time of the day… No chance… 😉
Morning Rico.
How did we not batter them Scott… 😉
Seriously though, shows what a odd season this is. Bournemouth have beaten a few of the top sides yet we totally outplayed them for most of the game. Saints couldn’t win a game and we crumble….
All quite odd really….
Doesn’t matter Rico, we got the all important win and that’s exactly what was needed.
It’s a brilliant season, I reckon.
Is the quality down, or is it simply more even??
I dare say it’s the latter.
Using CL football is a crazy measure, IMO, as none of the better clubs or in fact Leagues face anywhere near the workload those in the PL face.
Look at the quality of football some of these “lesser” clubs are producing-it’s been brilliant.
I think that’s it Scott, a lot of the clubs further down the table are playing much better football and signing better players…
Also, the fear factor has gone when playing some of the bigger clubs…
New post up now…
Morning Rico and all. It was a typical Arsenal performance really. Bournemouth are an extremely average side and never troubled us at all and we played in bursts. Yet it was only 2-0. Theo missed chance after chance and was terrible. And he wasn’t the only one who was way off. But Gabriel was solid, though against limited opposition and Chambers surprised me with his application and willingness to keep things simple. If only Ramsey would do the same, instead of looking for the Hollywood ball all the time, we would be much more compact. Finding a position for him is proving tricky because he can bring big benefits but he’s seldom where he should be defensively and this leaves us horribly exposed.