Daily Bits and Bobs

Cech wants London move. Per Mertesacker believes the key battle on Sunday will be between Fellaini and Coquelin..

Posted on by rico

Morning all.

On this day back in 1991, Francis Coquelin came into this world so a big happy birthday to him. 24 years old today.

Back in 2012 on this very day, Arsenal beat WBA 3-2 away from home. We finished 3rd in the league and secured Champions League football. This game was also the last for Pat Rice in his role of Assistant Manager/first-team coach. Benayoun, Santos and Koscielny were the goal scorers and West Brom keeper Marton Fulop helped us along the way as he was awful.

After the game, the manager said:

I’m proud of the season. The mental solidity, the unity and solidarity inside the club has been tested. We didn’t show any weakness and kept united. In the end, we came back. It’s a good lesson for everyone. I told everyone to keep doing what they are doing and in the end we got there.

We were 17th in the league and in the first seven games we had lost four of them. When you have played seven games, there are 31 to go. It’s very difficult to imagine you can finish third.

This season didn’t start quite as badly as it did back then but nevertheless, we dropped far too many points, points which fundamentally cost us any hope of challenging for the PL crown.

We face WBA on the final day of this season too, again, hoping that 3rd spot will be ours as unless City slip up as we did on Monday, second place is gone.

If we get 3rd, I strongly suspect we’ll hear words very similar to what Arsene Wenger said back in 2012 about unity, solidarity and being united and focussed in our chase for CL football. In fact I think he’s been saying that since the day he arrived.

It would be nice to see us display all those traits from the start of next season and not just when top four looks like it’s out of reach and if we suffer a few injuries, I hope the summer transfer window ensures we have enough depth and strength to cope.

Next up is Utd away from home and Per Mertesacker believes the biggest duel on Sunday will be in midfield:

I think most important are the duels in midfield, around Marouane Fellaini. Francis Coquelin did really well last time. I think that is a major part of their game so we need to try to control this.

It’s not going to be easy. They obviously want to keep the ball as much as possible. Can we restrict it? Can we get the ball in their half and break? That is what we did last time and we did really well.”

Little v large, elbows and dirty stuff from the Belgian against our workhorse of a Frenchman – it should be a very interesting battle. Mike Dean has been appointed to officiate the match so I hope he’s got his eyes and ears open wide! One thing is for sure and that’s that we have to play better than we did on Monday. Players need to focus on what their own job is and not all bomb central in order to score as it doesn’t work.

Neither does shooting straight at a keeper and when facing one as good as De Gea, the shooting boots need to be on and accurate.

Talking of good keepers, The Telegraph report that the decision to sanction Cech’s move to Arsenal rests with Abramovich. Keeper prefers to remain in London.

Anyway, enough of my ramblings, have a good day guys….

rico

69 thoughts on “Cech wants London move. Per Mertesacker believes the key battle on Sunday will be between Fellaini and Coquelin..”

  2. Wath says:

    Morning,

    Cech to Arsenal….. Not a hope in hell of that happening…! The poison dwarf will see to that and make it his personal mission that no one decent is sold to us and lets be honest we’ve said the same for years, why sell a good player to a direct rival..?

  5. tsgh says:

    Very good read…

    Per’s line of thought has dampened my hopes for Sunday…

    It goes to show the club have not really prepared for Sunday yet? Since we beat them Fellaini has not played in midfield but has played upfront even ahead of their main strikers….; last weekend he even played ahead of Mata and Wooney who was meant to be their main striker.
    Well Per might know more…

  6. Wath says:

    Hopefully Coq doesn’t have to reset his nose again after monday night but I reckon it’s a pretty good bet he will 😉

  19. Wath says:

    We need to go there to win none of this draw crap… they are toilet get into them and win… Simple..!

    Evening Bruce 🙂

  25. Wath says:

    I’m with you Scott, none of this draw crap lets go there knowing they are average and very much beatable as we have proved already…! If we play to win worst case is a draw, you play to draw you get beat, defensive mindset…!

    They crap lets smash em…!

  27. Geziah says:

    Morning all.

    I think manure will try to get the ball wide and cross to the far post where Fellaini will be up against Bellerin or Monreal. We have to make them play it through the middle and counter with pace.

  31. tsgh says:

    Wath- is Fellaini their Razor Rurdoch? 😉

    Scott/Wath- I will be cautious…we couldn’t even beat a Moye’s XI at Old Bog land.
    No kamikaze attacks needed needing Dean to point to the penalty as per usual…
    The establishment will love it if we don’t make it into the UCL spot

    Also, in the ‘big’ games the first goal normally dictates the winner…

  33. scottfromoz says:

    Rico, I reckon Merts is going well of late! but I have a feeling Gabriel is a guy who will lift for big games, and against big opponents….he seems to have the fire on the belly.

  34. Wath says:

    Ts, my idea of winning and going for a win doesn’t involve any kamikaze gung ho tactics mate…! Now we have already beaten them it’s time to go there and have zero fear and to know we can and will win…!

  35. Wath says:

    Just seen this on twitter and as it’s his birthday just have to share as it’s piss funny…

    To the tune of “whole world in his hand” Can just imagine Stan will be signing this non stop from now on….!

    We’ve got the biggest Coq in the land, We’ve got the biggest Coq in the land,
    We got the biggest Coq in the land, We’ve got Francis Coquelin….!

  40. tsgh says:

    ”Typical comment from the size queen”. classic 😀 That has made my day.
    Rico- I like the ide of a faster player next to Kosser… I don’t know how match fit Gabriel is though…

  46. allezkev says:

    I watched some highlights, about 15 minutes, from the Swansea game last night.
    Ok, some of our finishing was poor, we can’t deny that.
    But how the fcuk we didn’t get a penalty when Williams had his arms around Giroud in the box, I’ll never know?

    They’re the kind of decisions Boring Chelsea always seem to get.

    Kevin Friend isn’t no friend of ours, the cheating cnut.

  48. Wath says:

    15mins of Swansea highlights…. How did they manage that…? Impressive editing if you ask me…! was 12 mins of that the warm up..?

    Told you Ts, my GG is sponsored mate 😉

  51. Micko says:

    Life…..don’t talk to me about life !

    Where are ya tsgh, it’s Pirlo time…..can’t touch this.

  62. Lee says:

    I’m massively intrigued as to who the star(s) Arsenal will purchase. Adam spill the beans, I know you’ve been with Ivan!

  64. Adam says:

    Brudder. I could only tell you at a face to face. Hombre to hombre. 🙂
    You will be surprised though at what’s happening at the end of next season.

  66. Lee says:

    Isco,Gotze,Reus,Kondogbia,Veratti,Schneiderlin,Benders,Pogba,Dybala,Sterling,Vidal,Gundogan, Lloris,Cech and Kalou

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