Morning all.
I know highlights of a match don’t tell the whole story but I’ve a sneaky feeling the Arsenal v Norwich ones which I watched did. We are extremely fortunate to be in the draw for the quarter finals which takes place tonight.
Arsene Wenger has Eddie Nketiah to thank for that. Without his two goals having come off the bench, we’d be reading some horrid stuff in the newspapers this morning. Mind you, it’s not like anyone is full of praise for last nights performance but as often is the case, it’s justified.
After the game Wenger said he’d no idea why Chelsea decided not to keep our last nights hero, a question which no doubt the hierarchy at the West London club are asking themselves this morning. But over there, time is not often afforded to younger players. Roman demands success and only ready made players will bring that. Having so many out on loan would support that theory.
Wenger is marginally better in that department. He’s let a few go who might go on to prove he shouldn’t have but he’s not a manager known for investing big on players so every now again his hand is forced and he has to take a chance with reserve players. Certainly in the Carabao Cup and why not. Training with the first team and playing on nights like last night and in the Europa Cup will do them far more good than sitting on the bench elsewhere.
But they’ll come a time when Wenger has to select one or two for the first team in the league, not just because Eddie scored two very well taken goals last night but because he and a couple of others are embarrassing the likes of Giroud, Walcott etc.
Daniel Farke was critical of the referee after the game, a game which might have ended very differently had Elneny been show a red card during the first half instead of a yellow. Likewise with a penalty shout for the visitors when Debuchy allegedly brought down James Husband in the box but it was our night, we got the rub of the green for a change but the Norwich City players and fans have the right to be felt hard done by. Yet had their taken more of the many chances they created, those two incidents wouldn’t be talked about. Certainly not so loudly.
As Eddie Nketiah entered the pitch on 85 minutes the Norwich fans greeted him with chants of ‘Who are you?’ At the final whistle his name was being sung by the home supporters. One touch, one goal to draw us level and then a fine header in extra time to secure the victory. Don’t you love it when a tiddler out jumps everyone else to score with his head?
Most headlines this morning suggest that Arsenal fans now know who Eddie Nketiah is, with a kind of smugness which suggests we didn’t have a clue who he was before yesterday. No, it’s they who didn’t know about Little Eddie, as he’s fondly known, we already did. Take a bow young man, take a bow.
We need Lady Luck to be on our side tonight though and draw us against Bristol City, Bournemouth or Leicester City, because if we get any of the other club, on last nights showing, our Carabao Cup journey will be over.
Not that I’m suggesting any of the above three will be much easier…
Swansea up next for us and for a change, it’s on a Saturday.
Have a good day guys and gals, the sunshine has made an appearance for a change….
Another good result.
Eddie has a little arrogance about him which in a great striker isn’t a bad thing at all.
All the tools are there, and Chelsea’s poor decision may be an absolutel blessing for us, if we manage his future well.
Giroud-terrible.
Theo-very average.
I thought Coquelin did pretty well, and Macey will end up one lump of a lad.
Good signs for the future with the youngsters all doing well enough.
Morning all.
If Wenger would only change our keeping coach, Macey might save the club a few million.
http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11670/11097474/theo-walcott-should-leave-arsenal-says-ian-wright-on-the-debate
Don’t even have to read the article to agree with Wrighty 🙂
Theo really needs to go.
I like him, he’s a damn decent player and a top man but he will never be consistently good enough for us.
I’ll read it now, though!!
Morning Rico, there always seems to be some controversy regarding our results these days with the match officials involved.Anyway, it’s roundabouts and swings,or so they say… No doubt the next time a decision goes against us old clueless will magnanimously accept it. Hey was that a pig that just flew by my window !
If our youngsters are going to get playing time then someone has to stand aside. Question is are they better now or can they develop to be better. Not only is Theo under pressure but Giroud’s supersub spot too. Nketiah is a goalscorer with rapid movement in the box.
Giroud offers something totally different, scores his share so id keep him, Potter.
Morning Jeff, just seen the same pig flying over my house….
We finished the game at home, Wenger gets rather a lot of dom cup games at homej ust as well because his away record in them is nothing to shout about, playing against a Championship side with us having 8 strikers on the pitch ! Come on now this is school play ground football .One again a home draw extra time desperation and a helping hand or two from match officials saved Wenger’s blushes .Well done to the young kid who scored the goals but anyone expecting him to be on the bench in real games by displacing Wenger’s fav Wally will be disappointed.
Giroud doesn’t fit in the way we play…
To be fair, Walcott doesn’t play much in the PL either, nor Giroud and it’s clear why.
But Wenger won’t have much choice soon but to give the young guns a go, especially once Ozil and Sanchez leave in Jan as expected..
Morning again and thanks Rico.
I haven`t seen the game or highlights yet, but are some of us really moaning about the game and Wenger after a win ?……………………before game starts a few on here are loving the C and EL becuase it gives us a chance to see the youngsters and have a stress free viewing as most and correct me if I`m wrong dont really give a shit about these two competitions, we accept that we will play young `uns to see their development and know that they are not the finished articles, so lets just ahve a bit of escapism from the EPL and enjoy it.
As for Mansour City, I wonder if their fans are moaning that they only just beat Wolves and I bet they didn`t play their reserves as they dont have any…………….Yaya Yaya..Aguero etc`……….what a bench !
🙂
No time to be moaning at which is in all honesty experimental and development games which we all want to see….or have we changed our minds ?
Rico, if that’s true, then he’s a hell of a player 😉
I do agree with you, though.
We bought him, yet hardly ever play to his strengths and that’s as much his teammates fault as it is Wenger.
How often have we seen no crosses in the air, he goes off, and all of a sudden our guys start banging them in?
Strange tactics.
Fcuk me !!!…………….just had a browse at City`s team last night, they are really taking the CC lightly ! hahaha
Tactics and Wenger bit of a stretch, oxymoron really.
There`s a stat out there that Arsenal have scored more headed goals than any other team over a certain length of time which I dont know the length of, but it`s one which shocks most people as everyone thinks we try to walk the ball in the net !
I thought Oxymoron was AOC moving to bindippers for less money and more time on the bench !
LC, with what they’ve spent, they could easily field 2 competitive league sides.
Strength and depth isn’t an issue for them, that’s for sure.
Poor old Ox lol
I just enjoyed watching Steve Nicol eating crow.
For years he’s said, and rightly so, how Wenger doesn’t do defence.
He’s raves about how good a manager Klopp is since he joined the Scousers, but tonight, it was as if he were talking if Arsene 🙂
We were told a few years back when plenty wanted Klopp with us that he was just a younger, fresher version of Arsene.
Nicol being humble(d) was brilliant lol
Want a bit of my pie, Scott ?………………………..it`s burnt and hard, so hard that if I send it by plane to you and the planes crashes, my pie will survive along side the black box ! hahaha
LC, sounds damn enticing hahahaha
Maybe just throw it in the ocean, and surely it’ll get here at some point 🙂
Lc,the reason we are still moaning is because the game was dire, we were awful. But that doesn’t mean people are having a go about the younger players, in fact totally the opposite as it’s the senior players who aren’t doing enough imo.
We have had . years of this kids playing in LC ties malarkey that all ended in nothing.No one remembers the league cup after March. The comp provides a bit of light entertainment mid week it;s fun watching the big guns struggling against lower opponents the magic of the cup and all that but that’s the way it’s always been . The lower sides players are often more up for the cup than the bigger ones are and this can close the gap in class somewhat ..If the players in the Championship sides were as good as the Prem ones then they would be at Prem clubs themselves .You never know how good these kids are who do well in the cup games against lower class oppo until they play in top flight games .Rashford at United came straight in to Prem games and did well and it was obvious that he was a good prospect. Ask Bellend Bellerin about it.
Agree Scott, Wenger doesn’t play to Ollie’s strengths but to be honest, he’s never been much good when including big lumps up front. His style (not that there’s much of it these days’) is to play quick passing, with movement and width, that’s pretty much all he knows imo. So instead of playing to Ollie’s strengths which hasn’t succeeded in doing so yet, why not sign the kind of player who can play his way?
He has a few now, but because he’s left it too late, they’ll soon be gone because Wenger hasn’t built his squad properly over recent years..
Rico, plenty focus on those negatives, though.
We know what Theo and the others offer, so I look at the newbies, the future.
It’s a cup that not many really worry too much about, so we should take out of it what we can, imo.
Let’s hope in 5 years time we remember this game as the game where a star was born.
Good morning Rico !
What a joy when unknown youngster pops up and scores two goals on succession.I hope is going to be our Rashford .Really i would give a measured chance with the first team.
I notice that Willshere ignores the run of the donkey Feo and rightly so.I think the youngster as well sense that is just a crap.
I hope the pundits comment will accelerate his departure but who is going to pay that salary for his crap services ?
I am surprised that no none commented on our defence.Holding is slow no pace .Norwich player they really expose all three defenders.I think i have to see him more but on the evidence of yesterday he is as slow as BFG.
Rico, I reckon Giroud has been hung out to dry too often by fans for that exact reason-he is not really an Arsenal style player, or a Wenger player, at least, yet he’s still been a bloody good servant, all things considered.
Jeff, I’d like to see Nelson and perhaps even Eddie on the bench on Saturday. If we can get off to a fast start and put the game to bed with 15/20 mins to go, then give them a chance. Until they play, we don’t know but those two especially are certainly knocking on the door and Wenger shouldn’t ignore them.
Sherwood did it with Kane, why can’t Wenger with ours…
Alex, or anyone-when is Theo’s contract up?
Morning All & Rico, great post…
You can’t coach what Eddie has, it’s instinct, that ability to anticipate, the movement, drifting into space, being in the right place at the right time, making it look easy.
His first goal was all about those things, and when the ball came to him he simply had to pass it over the line.
Luck?
Well nobody else in an Arsenal shirt managed it.
The 2nd was all about timing, the ability to almost hang in the air allied to his spring, for a small guy he gets up so well and just hangs there for that vital few seconds – timing…
He’s been scoring goals like that his entire Arsenal career, no fussy overplay, keeping it simple and sticking it in the onion bag.
Rick will tell ya, all through his U18’s and U23’s he’s been scoring for fun…
Just another cock up from Wenger imo Scott. He makes do all too often. Still, at least he’s finally seen sense and dropped him from the PL games, or has up until now…
Many players get criticised these days, but not all are completely useless, it’s because of how they are coached/played/managed etc.
But they’ll always get the stick because they are the ones on the pitch performing badly… And you wonder why so many of us believe Wenger needs to be the first out the door?
Kev, it was his movement off the ball that caught the eye when we saw him live.
He’s a smart kid, no question:
Morning Kev. Thanks.
Eddie is the real thing imo, well, he will be once he’s been given a chance. He does everything Welbeck and Walcott don’t…
Wenger gets plenty of stick as well 🙂
Some players are just not as good as we all believed at one time.
Sometimes it’s Wengers fault, sometimes it’s just the player, imo.
Scott/Rico, I only saw brief highlights, once again our defence was left totally exposed by our midfield, Coquelin is supposed to be our defensive midfielder, where was he for their goal, Debuchy was running in treacle as their goalscorer sped away, where was Nelson?
Giroud always has a couple of big lumps pulling and pushing him, grabbing his shirt, you can’t expect him to do what Lacazette does, they’re different players. I mean he’s scored a 100 goals for Arsenal, but then players are doing it all the time, it’s easy isn’t it.
The blame surely lies with the bloke who signed them? The same bloke who keeps them, rewards them with a big salary despite watching how poor they are.. Then, when the penny finally drops, he can’t sell them because no club can afford their wages…
Tactics Kev?
Rico, we could say the same applies to the guy who keeps the guy……….
🙂
Kev, Ive always been a Giroud fan.
I thiught his touch was bloody awful in this game, but he never stopped trying and could easily have scored one or two.
Scott, I see that Arseblog is visiting Down Under for a few days this week.
Sydney and Melbourne
https://www.arsenal.com/news/im-childhood-fan-i-loved-henry-wright
Absolutely Rico, or lack of, but that’s Wenger, his idea of tactics is throw on another attacker.
What does Wright’s say about Theo?
His time is up, he should move on for his own good, etc.
Maybe next summer he will, I reckon that Wenger would have sold him last summer if someone had come in with the right offer. Same as with Giroud.
That man Scott knows nothing much about football I’d imagine. I doubt he even watches us play… I know he has his faults, but I won’t use him as an excuse for Wenger’s continual failings…
Kev, Wrighty says it’s time to leave for his own good…
Rico, I’ve never said Stan was an excuse for Wenger.
Kev, Australia is the place to visit 🙂
Daily Express
Arsenal and Manchester City could reportedly be made to replay their fourth-round Carabao Cup ties.
The Premier League giants were level with Norwich and Wolves respectively after 90 minutes last night.
And by that point they’d both used two of their three regulation substitutes.
Carabao Cup rules mean teams are allowed to use a fourth substitute once extra-time gets underway.
Arsenal brought on Josh DaSilva and Joe Willock in extra-time, with City introducing Leroy Sane and Kyle Walker.
However, suggestions have been raised that Arsenal and City may have broken Carabao Cup rules by making two replacements after full-time.
Did I say you did Scott?
Rico ,Wenger is under too much pressure to get results so I can’t see him taking chances on kids in league games.He will stick with the usual suspects if things get desperate he will send Per up front !
I read that elsewhere, Rico.
What a load of tripe.
Surely the matchday officials are responsible for making the call on the day.
They wouldn’t, would they???
Jeff, a bit of size up front with some speed, ya reckon 🙂 🙂
Woeful display from Wenger’s assembled team…yet again!
To think we used to field only the kids in this competition and go far….the regression under Wenger is unreal!
Jeff, they can’t do much worse than the first team are doing surely. Just think one or two deserve a chance and I’d rather see someone like Eddie or Nelson come on from the bench than some other waste of space..
Indeed Lee.
Scott ,I recall Wenger actually using Per up front in a similar situation awhile back when we were losing at home .It didn’t work though .
Off out with the hound, laters..
Lol Jeff, I can’t remember that, but would love to see it, just for the comedic value 🙂
Rico, not sure if what the Express is reporting is correct, yeah I know, hard to believe eh? ?
All Arsenal did was use their 3 substitutes in the allotted time of the game, as it was, which in this case was 120minutes and brought on a 4th sub in added time as the new rule allows.
The fact that our 3rd sub also came on in added time is irrelevant.
It’s quite astonishing to imagine that a journalist could get his/her facts so badly wrong.
Afternoon Rico. Looks like we’ve got Barcelona’s deal-maker then. Just in time for the January transfer window apparently.
Had we “luckily” beat Norwich in the EPL with a full strength team I`d understand the gripes, but CC with fringe getting needed runout and youth (7 involved) playing for experience !………………….unwarranted imo……………..lets save it for Swansea.
Afternoon Rico and All.
In a nutshell.
Trouble at the back was due to a midfield player
pretending to be a centre back plus Holding is
a bit slow on the left,Debuchy was by far our
best defender.
The Quiff and Walnut were invisible mostly.
Jack was in and out of the game.
Norwich were unlucky not to win to be fair.
Eddie was our saviour from the bench,and fans
let him know.
Really not much else to get excited about.
Doom Gloom? Me…Never
Adam, who are Barcelona chasing? They surely don’t want any of our players, do they? If they do they must be really desperate!
Or
Are they trying to off load some of their dead wood to burden us further with overpaid under achieving continental dead wood?
Afternoon everybody. Lovely here. Blue skies and warmth in the sunshine.
Wavy. I guess the club needed someone to replace the bloke who left. Whether Wenger will allow him to do his job is anyone’s guess.
Afternoon Fred, Adam and all.
Good Kev, don’t want to be playing another game…
Who’s that Adam?
So Dick Law (Wengers man) goes and Sanllehi (Gazidis mate ) comes in.Is the grip loosening.?’
Maybe Arsene will send him out to the car park
to direct matchday traffic.
Is that definite Potter?
England U17`s beat Brazil today 3-1 in the U17 World Cup………………..something must be going right at St George`s Park and youth academies around the country !…………………..two WC finals in a year !
Apparently so Rico, he was the man that boughtSanchez, Neymar and Rakatic
Thanks Potter, that’s good news then…
I’ve just read on SS’s that the AST are urging shareholders to vote against re-appointing Josh Kroenke and Chips on the board. I’d have thought those two were far from being the worst on the board. Didn’t Chips want Wenger to depart along with Gazidis…
Afternoon rico and all..
Good win last night but how bad was Giroud! I mean how really bad!
I know he sometimes comes up with the spectacular goal, but his overall contribution has been really poor since the start of the season and beyond.
It’s nothing to do with playing to his strength and all that. .his 1st touch was shocking, couldn’t hold the ball , all his attempt passes went to the opposition. .add to that he can’t dribble or run into spaces to open play.
I have seen strikers in lower leagues do better than him.
His cameo sub appearances in the PL was shocking to say the least..I don’t know if it’s motivation thing or he just getting worse!
It’s really embarrassing for a club like arsenal to depend on a striker like him and I don’t care about the puskas award.
Mind you, youu could say the same about many from our current crop!
Afternoon Kk. I thought the Norwich guy who scored their goal looked good… Well, at least he could finish his chance, online a few of ours..
Evening Rico. As Potter says, it looks as if it’s happening in December. Whether it will make any difference, who knows.
I am excited though. 🙂
Evening Adam. I’m excited by the news too. As Potter said, perhaps the control is loosening and it’s the beginning of the end…
A new era Rico? 🙂
We can only hope Adam… ?
Evening Rico and the House.
Things have been rather hectic for the last few weeks so I have had little time
to watch football or to contribute to the house.
Pleased to see the youngsters are getting playing time and that they are not letting the academy down.
Eddy has now scored 53 goals in just 70 games and as Kev has said is still scoring for the fun of it.
And I completely agree with him that the lad( as has Reiss) has got that certain something that coaching will not give him..
This story about the Subs last night is a load of rubbish.
In a recent game between Bournmouth and Bighton the game went to extra time and after 90mins Brighton had not used a single sub but used all 4 during extra time . No action was taken against them and infact the media failed to comment on it.
The U23 are away to Chelsea on friday so I tink the boys will br back to their day job.
.Kev ther is still no news about Mcguanes contract.
I am hearing that the Arsenal Womens Manager is leaving the club,
promotion for Kelly Smith maybe??
Evening Rick, high hopes for both aeddie and Nelson. They have no fear and play with freedom
I’d like to see Kelly Smith get the job, she deserves it..
How exciting will January be !………..Ozil and Alexis will they stay or will they go ?…………. will they sign new contracts ?………who will we buy ?…………will Sanllehi ( unlike Adam and Rico I`m not wetting myself with this rumour
😆
) have any influence on aforementioned two staying ?…………….will we still be in the running for any of the cups we are currently in ?…………..will we be in contention for title still 😆
?………………………………who will be our first opponents in the defense of our FA Cup ?……………………………will Scott be on the naughty step for a record time ?……………………..will we still all be here the way Trump and Kim Kardashian`s rhetoric is going ?………………will Lee be converted to Wengerism ?…………………………..will my Apple Pie have sunk any ships on the way to Oz ?
Not overly impressed by the ‘will Scott be on the naughty step’ stuff Lc. Scott and I don’t have an issue, we talk offline..
LC, I can not boy answer the question aimed at me, and I’ll put it this way-I’ve pitched a tent on the naughty step lol
The game of Battleship has begun, and you’ve sunk 3 of my Destroyers already 🙂 🙂
Rico, don’t stress it as I don’t 🙂
Rico is correct though, LC.
We talk quite often.
I can guarantee there’s no personality issues-so often, as is often the case, context is an issue when discussing things online.
Scott, I don’t, trust me… ?
Good 🙂
Rick, I’ve asked Jeorge Bird twice on his blog about McGuane and as yet no response.
If McGuane thinks he’s going to get more game time at Man City or Juventus then he’d better go.
I think that Chris Willock is discovering that the grass isn’t greener in Lisbon…
Scott if it was down to me you’d be on the naughty step permanently. ?
Ok, off to Waterloo to work on my abbs whilst waiting for a job.
Oops sorry, if you dont take it as jest then I have obviously mistakenly thought you would see it that way !…………………..
Lc, it’s difficult to tell when you are joking or being serious because of the way you write…. I guess though you were kidding about Scott….
Kev, that’s it, Uber all the way for me 🙂 🙂
LC, Rico is my calming influence hahahaha
Serenity now ?
I was just thinking, the only real thing any of us actually disagree on is whether Stan or Arsene should go first.
I say that with absolute certainty because we all want them both gone-nobody here wants either to stay, unless I’ve missed something.
Think about all the arguments and debates-that’s what it really comes down to.
We’re all frustrated, and none of us enjoy seeing the club battling along as it is when we all know it should be doing better.
Almost all over little side issues can be traced directly back to “Stan or Arsene” and who should go first.
Realistically, it doesn’t matter as we don’t have a say, unfortunately.
Tottnum ???
Blow some bubbles to that hahahahahaha
3 goals conceded in 15 minutes!!!
Most I write is usually on the lighthearted side, even when Arsenal, Kroenke and Arsene piss me off, maybe I should read what I write before I click on post comment to make sure it is not taken the wrong way. I can however say I haven`t written anything aimed at being abusive or other to anyone on here intentionally to my knowledge even if I think anyone is being ridiculous.
I agree wholeheartedly what Scott has just said, that we all want Wenger and Kroenke gone, but disagree in what order, they are both complicit in the current failure of our club to be competitive in the EPL, as I keep saying , we have a win double at the helm !.
For some reason whether it strange or not, the spuds losing after being two up is more satisfying and feels me with more warmth than our win last night !……………………..I shall now go to bed in the zone with my Chi at it`s peak satisfaction.
😀
Spud fans will be OK though, they will still think the treble is on !
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/10/25/arsenal-owner-stan-kroenke-pledges-backing-manager-arsene-wenger/
Very interesting comments from Stan, hey Kev?
Im not sure whether to think he’s totally right, or totally wrong lol
I’ll have to read it again later on.
One thing that stands out is his constant support of Arsene.
If he really does want us to win everything we can, then surely more investment is required.
I won’t get into the argument on why we don’t spend, and who’s at fault, but it’s clear more money does need to be spent on th squad for us to compete at the highest level.
LC, I said earlier that context is often easy to misinterpret when something it written, and I know I’ve been guilty of that on a thousand occasions 🙂
Morning Rico. The AGM could be lively although I see that the Kroenkes have already been giving interviews in which they use the word “deleterious” to pre-empt the criticism that is likely coming their way.
Morning Adam and all.
I expect the same old garbage will be spewed out, the same answers to the pre-vetted questions… Exciting eh….
The same old tactics of giving the answers before th questions. A pointless pre organised exercise.
Morning Rico and All
Stan the Syrup comes up with the answers?
“You have to approach it with clear-headedness, calmness, thinking for the long term rather than the short-term,” said the majority shareholder.
Long term what do we make of that.
Adam
“deleterious…Is he saying Poor old Arsene.
My thoughts exactly Potter.
Morning Fred, there’s a thought… lol
Morning Fred. I don’t believe I have ever heard an American use that word so I imagine the spiel was prepared by Ivan. 🙂
The only good part of this is,
The dreaded “vote of confidence” for a manager.
Fred. When you think about it though. What else could they possibly say?
To be honest Adam…
I wouldn’t believe a word,any of
this lot spiel out.
The connection to fans thoughts mean
zero.
Or Arsene Adam. ?
New post up now.