Morning all.
When we lose a match in the fashion we lost that one, put politely, it really cheeses me off. To start the game and gift them early goals is suicidal. Then another gaff towards the end killed us. The first was Koscielny, the second Mustafi, the third Koscielny again, although Xhaka could have done a lot better but the reality is, we had enough chances to not only come back to equalise, but to win the game but it was one of those days when a goalkeeper has a great game. As the clock ran down, we were denied a penalty after Welbeck was hacked down but by then, it was all too late in any case.
Seriously, we bossed Mourinho’s side throughout the entire game but shoddy defending and the inability to get the ball past de Gea left us with nothing from the game. Taking the mistakes made by our players out of the scenario, I thought we played really well. A strange thing to say considering we lost I know but there aren’t many other sides who’d have a keeper in such form as de Gea was yesterday. What was it, 33 shots at The Utd goal? Incredible really but clearly isn’t wasn’t our day.
Arsene Wenger was visibly angry after the game and he wasn’t up for talking about Mustafi’s injury which saw him replaced by Iwobi either and I’m not surprised.
I’m right up there on the list of Arsenal fans who want Arsene Wenger to leave but seriously, he can’t be blamed for the way we conceded our first two goals. It was Mustafi and Koscielny who opened the door for Utd to walk right through. Not the kind of thing one would expect from two experienced international defenders. Mind you, I didn’t expect Petr Cech to allow the first to go straight through his legs either.
So our unbeaten run at The Emirates is over but you know what, I thought the game was great. If Utd didn’t have such a good keeper they’d have gone back up north with nothing. We may have lost but I thought we played pretty well. The effort was there, the commitment too and despite being 2-0 down early in the game, the heads didn’t drop. That kind of attitude will only improve us as the season goes on.
Lacazette made it 2-1 and with plenty of time left on the clock, I thought we might snatch a draw at least but as Arsene Wenger went for broke, Utd hit us on the break. All Koscielny had to do though was force Lukaku further away from goal or over the line but no, Lukaku brushed past him to set up Utd’s third.
I lost count of how many attacking players we had on the pitch when the final whistle blew, one of course was Welbeck who as said earlier, was denied a clear cut penalty. Giroud was on too and he stood out for all th3 wrong reasons. He brought nothing with him from the bench whatsoever and to be honest, I’d have rather have seen young Eddie Nketiah come on instead.
Pogba saw red for a nasty stamp on Bellerin’s leg. Horrid and could have put Bellerin out of the game for a few months. I actually didn’t expect the little Spaniard to get up from that one but thankfully he did. If only because we are not flush with right backs in the squad. Nor are we flushed with centre backs either so hopefully Mustafi’s injury is not serious either. Now that I do blame Wenger for, having a depleted squad,
Anyway, it’s BATE Borisov next for us on Thursday so another run out for the young and fringe players. Then it’s a trip down south to play an in form Southampton side. That one is going to be tough.
I would say have a good Sunday, however….
Morning all.
Rico, in app. The 20th minute, Lacazette was coat hangered by a Utd defend 5 yards out when it looked harder to miss than it did score.
No question it was a penalty, and it would have made things interesting but I’m
not making excuses as we really did get what we deserved but guess who turned it over for their 3rd goal…..no names, no packdrill 🙂
Onwards and (hopefully) upwards.
Giroud sealed the deal for us the other day day so it’s harsh to say Eddie was a better option, imo.
Thank`s Rico.
Reading other blogs and stuff it`s unusual that nearly everyone is on the same page in that apart from the stupid defensive errors no one is really moaning about the performance or anything else like Wenger !……………………on any other given day we would have destroyed the opposition, just one of those days………………………………it`s like me being in the ring with Anthony Joshua and being hit from pillar to post and about to go into unconsiousness when AJ slips on the blood stained canvass and falls to knock himself out on my fist !…………………………………..love to know the last time Mourinho only had 25% possession ?…………….probably when he had Bobby Charlton`s hampton in his gob !……………………hahaha
Koscielny still could have done better with his defensive work Scott regardless of who lost the ball in the first place. He and Mustafi were poor yesterday…
Lc, a lot of what we did was good I thought. But how often have we said 5hat when we’ve been great going forward we’ve been suspect in defence and I include the midfield in that.
I don’t want Wenger to spend money as I want him gone and the new manager to have the money. However, if he’s seeing out his contract in full, he really needs to get us another CB if not two and certainly a midfielder who knows what the word defend means…
It’s all well and good bombing forward in search of goals but we really do leave ourselves wide open at the back..
Wenger wont go untill his contracts ends as he always honours his contract, so we need to buy to cover for Alexis and Ozil when they go in either Jan` or Summer !……………we cant go a season without their replacements before another manager comes in…………….
Wenger coaches the players. He encourages them to play out from the back. That’s what they were doing, following coaching orders. The fact that they were neither skilfull enough or savvy enough to avoid being closed down by the opposition was totally the fault of the players but, if Wenger was clever enough he would have told them to lump the ball up field if they were in danger of losing the ball! So who’s to blame? I’ll leave that to you to work it out.
A Ramsey failed flick was the start of the 3rd goal counter attack………!
Good game thoroughly enjoyed it, not the result of course. Should have won by 4 or 5. But we didn’t, did we?
There’s always next week or even next season! Same old, same old.
Bit overcast and gloomy here. I wonder where the Poldark skies have disappeared to!
I’m not convinced. I can see him going in the summer. He want the flack after losing both Ozil and Sanchez for nothing if that’s what happens..
Yep Rico, our defenders had a shocker.
Still, Utd were good enough to capitalise and we weren’t when given the same opportunities.
3 points wasted???
With you there Wavy, Wenger is certainly responsible for the way we play etc. I don’t understand why when in times of trouble, row z isn’t deployed instead of trying to pass our way out of a tricky situation.
Surely not re the Ramsey flick… ?
Wavy, Its the trend around the world now-playing our from the back.
I’d bet it causes more damage than it does good.
I went and saw our local A League side today and the only time they looked remotely in trouble was when playing in it from the back.
Can’t blame Ramsey unless you’re prepared to blame Alexis, and some never do but when Ramsey has a shocker I’ll say so.
Ozil is showing energy so he’s either shopping himself around or is prepared to stay.
Alexis is stale so defeinitely wants out which is no secret.
Should we sell him in January?
Off subject, but trades people !………………is it part of their apprenticeship to not turn up when they say they will ?………………….I should imagine even dogs have phones nowadays and be good enough to woof that they cant turn up !……………………I hate unreliable bastards and what is the point of saying leave me a message and I`ll get back to you if you dont !…GRRRRRRRR
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Good morning Rico
I think you guys are carried a bit by the performance……….not me………..why ?
This is an over rated over hyped Manure side.
Lukaku ….are you serious ?
Pogba……..what meaningful thing did through out the season and yesterday ?
The midget knows very well how to win against Le prof and he did it by his man Matic.Tasked to annhilate any treat any he did it brilliantly.
Remember when you lost the final game on Carling cup ? Yes…… it was Koscielny that went AWOL.
Just recently against Hazard he retrieves and back tracks all the way to the goalie without one single attempt of takling and Hazard dances inside the 6m and scores.
And yesterday was not any different against Pogba.Why not foul him hardly up in the pitch and make him know who is the boss around.Why he cannot learn him and his boss from tge past ?
Koscielny pussy it all the time and yes the manager should have learn a lot and probably not playing him.
It is a well written off season after all so me no ungry as it is the norm.
Only 4 shots on target by Manshafter yesterday, that stat sounds familiar when we lose !
Alexis Stale? Not sure I’d agree there Scott..
Hi Alex.
One pay 35M for Xaka and look at the 3rd goal …lol
Alex, we can pick the odd game out to make a player look poor; but he’s had plenty of crackers for us including a few in the last two weeks.
This idea of Kozzer being soft is one I can’t agree with.
I doubt a defender alive hasn’t turned their back on a close range shot.
Rico, Alexis is not as sharp this season, imo, as he’s been previously.
Unless he’s carrying an injury, that’s all I can put it down to.
I reckon Kos is soft. We need a couple of tough tackling hard men in defence.. Like Gabriel was when he first arrived..
Hi Rico. When you give away 2 entirely unnecessary goals against a Mourinho side you are always going to have problems. I though that, apart from the obvious, we played well. The next period in Arsenal’s evolution is going to be interesting. There’s a quiet revolution going on within The Emirates, instigated by Ivan and signed off by Kroenke. This concerns personnel at the moment but will include a new manager whenever he arrives.
Afternoon all,
Not all that big on stats, we used to have our very own stats man on here for a while until he went back to his first love Chelsea lol.
75% possession and 33 shots on goal, all the proof in the world if you ever needed it that possession doesn’t win you games……..bottom line, defend well and you always have a chance.
“Soft” rico, any justice and he’ll come back as a stick insect, if he wants to turn his back then all well and good but he’ll be brown bread in the real world.
Good afternoon rico and all..
Sanchez has been really poor the last two games. and I mean really poor. .it’s either a fitness issue or mental issues with all going about his contact and the disappointment of not making it to the world cup
As of Giroud , don’t let me even start. .
His goals against Huddersfield non existent defence, really masked how poor and useless he has been lately.
Da Gea had one of his best games, but I thought we weren’t calm or clinical enough in front of the goal and made it easier for him ..
Manure were there to be taken, but our experienced defenders bottled it big time.
O well , …..
Hi Rico, yep I’m with Adam, things are changing at the club, Gazides is preparing for the arrival of the next manager, whether that be this summer or in 18 months time.
As Adam says, we lost the contest in the opening minutes, but DeGea was still the difference, without him in their goal I think that Arsenal could have even won that game.
Scott
Is not a premierl league player…..
To many soft errors …..Xaka is simply oer rated .
Koscielny is not a defender intelligent enough to play with high pushing team.
Retreat is not tool to consider on such games.
Southampton (a) next game, that’s where we’ll see if this team has the character to bounce back, not something that we’ve been that good at in the recent past.
On the positive side how good is Lacazette looking, he’s gonna get us a lot of goals over the next few years.
Hi Adam, Kk and Kev.
I too think much is going on behind the scenes and I kind of get now why Stan kept Wenger on as too many changes at one time can be difficult. Still, at least changes are being made and all ready for the new man when he arrives..
Lacazette is good Kev and for all sorts of reasons. He harries the defence, he’s clinical and he seems to have slotted in really well. Better service and he’d be deadly imo..
Kk, I don’t think Alexis has been that bad I really don’t. He’s not as potent as last season but that’s understandable in a way because of his contract situation. I actually think he knows where he’s going but Ozil doesn’t because out of the two it seems it’s the latter who has raised his game. Perhaps he’s concerned that no other club wants him so he’s all above proving himself.
Rico. I thought Alexis was good in the first half yesterday but ran out of steam later in the game. He’s probably off though.
A shame really.
We need to swap Sanchez, or Ozil, in January. Any other out of contract players (end of season) of similar ability? Even if we come off worse in a deal, its probably better than no deal.
Adam, I did too. I don’t understand the criticism he gets to be honest as without him I dread to think where we’d be…
Andrew, I read the other day that Draxler is heading our way on loan. However, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Alexis goes to Psg and we get Draxler in the deal. It’ll cost us but as you say, any deal is better than losing money in the summer.
Hi rico, I wasn’t critisizing sanchez really, I just thought against Huddersfield and again last night he was poor by his own standards.
He did chip the ball for Ramsey Lacaz goal though. .
Afternoon all
Well if you schoolboy defend and go 0-2 down in ten minutes and then the best keeper in the world breaks the PL record of 14 saves in one match you know it’s not your day but Pogba being sent off went against us as Mourunho changed his tactics and built a wall.
Notice lacazette scored by lifting the ball, others couldn’t do it,it was like a pinball wizard penalty box.
I am not blaming any individuals because we can’t defend as a unit and never will under Wenger.
Looking at the table this morning we are fifth and have lost 3 and drawn one against the top 4 above us scoring 2 and conceding 10.
It tells a familiar story,year after year.We are second tier and a majority shareholder who takes petty cash and doesn’t invest. It doesn’t take 100’s of millions but a younger manager , better scouts and a less predictable approach.Wenger will never change.Football is big business and you have to speculate to accumulate.
Hi Kk, I didn’t take your comment as a criticism just an observation..
Kelsey, at least changes are being made and one day things might be very different..
Morning all.
I saw some film of Utd recently during thei golden era, and even the hardest of hard men, Martin Keown, was protective of his face when staring down a close range shot.
Nobody would question his courage.
Watching any game of football will show backs doing it yet Koz is constantly criticised for it.
Rico, If Draxler is part of a trade for Alexis, we’d end up a hell of a lot better off than we will if he just walks in the summer.
Fingers crossed.
Not really sure what you’re getting at Scott. Keown seldom bottled a challenge or allowed his man to beat him. I know the game is different but Kos is only good on the ground. In the air he’s toothless imo and his defensive awareness is poor..
In my opinion of course…
rico
you may well be right,but I am getting older 😉 I hear on the grapevine Ozil might well stay and I am an Ozil supporter.
I think Ozil will stay to Kelsey..
He’s prone to the odd absolute Clanger, no question about it Rico lol
I just wouldn’t call him soft.
The old school defenders would have similar challenges as current day guys do, imo.
Diving strikers make it damn hard.
Ozil to stay-if he continues this run of form and, more importantly, work rate, he can stay as long as he likes as far as I’m concerned.
Agree to differ eh Scott.. get Vvd in and bobs your uncle…
I’m off, night guys..
Yeah he’d be a great signing, Rico.
Citeh keep finding ways to gain a result.
I’ve been a little less complementary on Pep and them due to their spending, but money doesn’t buy spirit and they have it.
Our tag of being the only Invincibles could be severely under threat.
Yeah especially if Preston North End find out !
City will win the league but they’ll also get a bloody nose along the way, the football God’s will see to that, be another 100 years before that happens again.
Poor old desperate Arsene he really does need those pesky refs to give him a helping hand and whinges when they don’t do so .He did concede though that you can’t give away to soft goals at the start and expect to win. The problem with the defensive howlers excuses is that in reality these are nothing out of the ordinary Keystone Kos who makes ale house players look world class and Mustafi limp off whom Wenger says he doesn’t know what is wrong with him,you couldn’t make it up , are just not all that good at defending .I watched the farce against Huddersfield in a pub in Tenerife last week and it was the fast track bullies in top form ! I just caught the Lackadaisical goal that made it 2-1 to Maureen’s crew in the airport bar last night before having to go to board the plane but I was not surprised by the final score when I heard it later.If Wenger only had to beat the Huddersfield type sides at home every week he would win the league but unfortunately that is not the case .I say at home because the away shows are not so great against these sides and Burnley was another example of that when Wenger neede a penalty call to beat them .So then there is no hiding place left now for Wenger it’s just the yawn inducing 4th place trophy to play for again for him and that is no certainty either .Wenger is talking up the performances at home but it’s a results game and if people want to be entertained by performances then I suggest that they take up watching Ice Skating !
I hope you’re right Micko lol
We’d be a chance at home I guess.
Utd might do us a favour this week.
Jeff, sounds like the holiday has done you the world of good, you were beginning to get a bit cranky before you left lol.
A loss got him back quick smart 🙂 🙂
Welcome back Jeff !……………….your Arsene loving has been missed !…………………….great performance albeit a loss from the lads kept the Wolfs at bay, but I think nothing but a convincing win at Southampton will bring your pack back .
🙂
Preston might have been the original Invincibles, Micko, but they only played 22 games and went undefeated for 23 (one game into next season ).ours is 49 games undefeated !……………..I hear a song coming on !
Celtic under Duck Dodgers are also known as the Invincibles, but they do play in a one team league !
🙂
Personally I think the teams with the most points that win the league are better like Chav team !……………it`s the points that matter as in theory a team could draw all there games and become the relegated Invincibles !
Hope yo enjoyed the lesson .
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Hi le coq luv Arsenal hate wenger ! I gave up long ago getting excited about so called great performances donkeys years ago and Wenger’s record against the Portugeezer is nothing to shout about .If City can go unbeaten in the league is in my view unlikely unless they get lucky as we did ourselves on occasion. 12 of our games were draws and that is near a third of the games played . GG came close to doing an unbeaten only losing one game , Chelsea away and Mourinho with Chelsea did like wise once winning the league with a record points scored Winning the title however is as you rightly point out the main thing because doing it unbeaten is just a statistic. Anyway to be truly Invincible in a season you would have to go unbeaten in every competition .
I enjoyed the holiday Micko but I suspected that normal service on the AFC front would be resumed when we played United. It’s not fair what is that United GK doing making saves and spoiling it all for Arsene !
I thought it was just me Jeff, I had to double check I hadn’t stumbled onto Bournemouth supporters blog by accident this morning, they always seem to play great and get beat at home lol.
Plenty of Arsenal fans do tend to criticise a poor performance when we win, and a poor result when we play well.
Has anyone/everyone had the pleasure of watching ‘89 yet?
I just opened my Xmas present early and I’m glad-what brilliant viewing.
Morning all.
Not yet Scott, I’m hoping it arrives in a few weeks..
Morning Rico. Do you still reckon that this is Wenger’s last season?
Morning Adam, I do.
Although what Wavy suggested the other day might be closer to reality and that’s the changes behind the scenes will mean Wenger concentrates on the job he’s paid to do instead of everything else.
Rico, have you been good this year 🙂
It really is brilliant to hear the inside story.
You’ll love it.
If the staff changes mean Arsene is leaving, it’s a possible but if it means he’s lowering his grip on the club, it’s almost as good, I reckon.
It’s got to be an improvement on what’s happening now, either way.
Of course Scott. If you lived nearer you’d see my halo.
Hahahahaha
We unlocals will take your word on it lol
Watching Wrighty discussing Rocky, and how he was at home watching the game was brilliant and beautiful.
He wears his heart on his sleeve like few others.
As I said yesterday, I too am an unlocal fan but it bothers me not…
We are all supporters, but different perspectives and attitudes just collide on here.
At the end of the day, we all want the same thing.
New post up.