Daily Bits and Bobs

From Mansfield Town to Bayer Leverkusen…

Posted on by rico

 

Morning all.

I didn’t realise moving to the New Forest would see me bombarded with text messages not only when Southampton win, but when Arsenal stumble to victory. Streaky wins, favouritism from the officials and how our players cheat their way to victory by deploying every dark art in the book – all thrown my way. It’s all friendly banter of course from workmen who seem to have been at my home as long as I have. I managed to get my own back a little yesterday when Fulham were disallowed a goal because Jarred Gillet got a decision wrong, not that he usually gets many right of course, but Southampton usually avoid him being a Championship club. Anyway, with the Hants club in the draw tonight, part of me hopes we draw them at home but the other part of me dreads us drawing them away. Mind you, they might get me a ticket if we do…

Fingers crossed we draw Port Vale at home. Our home I mean, not theirs although the latter wouldn’t be too bad. Now the players have had 95 minutes on a bumpy and worn pitch, they should be better next time around.

I loved the fact that 16year-old Max Dowman and Marli Salmon started against Mansfield Town and considering the robust approach by the home team, I thought both handled themselves really well. Both will grow physically and mentally and in all likelihood will become even better players than they already are. Whether or not Mikel Arteta will field a similar starting eleven should we be drawn against a Premier League club remains to be seen of course.

The draw takes place this evening at The London Stadium just before West Ham play Brentford in the last tie of this 5th round. The quarter-finals take place on the weekend of the 4th and 5th April.

Kepa Arrizabalaga spoke about them, Jaden Dixon and the performance after the game:

Wow – at 16, they play at the highest level. And how they play – they play so well. They’re special kids who are used to training with us, they’re used to being around us. They had the opportunity, I think they took it, and I’m so happy for them.

We lost some important balls, but I thought we also had some opportunities to kill the game, which we didn’t do, and we gave them the confidence to be in the game until the end. It’s something we have to improve, we have to be more clinical in both boxes. That’s something we have to focus on for the next games, because they’re very important.

Kepa is right, our youngsters are special and every game now is important. Hugely so. Eight Premier League games of which five are at The Emirates. Two of the away fixtures are in London and you don’t need me to tell you where the other one will be played. Before we head to the Etihad on April 19th, we face City at Wembley in the League Cup Final after which there is an international break.

As we all say though, it’s one day at a time and one game at a time for Arsenal and that takes place on Wednesday in Germany against Bayer Leverkusen. It’s an early kick off for UK viewers, 5-45pm.

Talk about going from one extreme to the other eh.

Catch up in the comments.

 

 

 

rico

48 thoughts on “From Mansfield Town to Bayer Leverkusen…”

  1. allezkev says:

    Morning Gooners, morning Rico, good post.

    The end of the comments from yesterday’s post had me thinking I’d stumbled onto a Battersea Dogs Home blog, Rico you’d love my neighbour Jason, he’s got 4 dogs and a cat (that stays out of the way) they always greet me with a cacophony of noise whenever I’m in the garden. My old cat never ventures into their garden for some reason?

    Hey Stu, your boys took one hell of a beating, not sure putting them into bat was a wise choice.

  3. potter says:

    We gave up on pets when the last two sadly passed . We now have 2 dogs and 3 cats on boot hill in the garden although the neighbour’s cats think they own the place , I often think about loaning a friends springers for a week or two and reset the area.
    Strange kick off time and will the drug company Bayer close early to allow the staff to get there .
    Their manager Hjulmand is reportedly under pressure following inconsistent domestic results, though he remains in charge ahead of key fixtures, including a Champions League clash against Arsenal. So all may not be happy in their camp , I am sure that Mr Hincapie will know more about that.
    Tonight West Ham play Brentford who are on the cusp of European football qualification and the home team are one good result away from changing places with our near neighbours .
    It will be interesting to see how this affects the team selections tonight.
    Why the draw takes place before the match tonight I can’t imagine , surely it is better to play the match and then find out who you are going to face .

  4. rico says:

    I too think it’s bonkers to have the draw before tonight’s final cup game.

    Foster a Jack Russell for a couple of weeks Potter, that will sort them out. Lol

  5. rico says:

    Rooney tells Arsenal and Arteta to ignore ‘unfair’ criticism

    Wayne Rooney has urged Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta to ignore “very unfair” criticism of the Premier League leaders’ playing style.

    The Gunners remain in contention for a quadruple after reaching the FA Cup quarter-finals with a 2-1 win at Mansfield and are seven points clear of Manchester City, who have a game in hand, at the top of the Premier League table.

    Arsenal’s tactics and style have come under fire, including criticism from former West Ham and Newcastle boss Alan Pardew, who last week accused Arteta’s men of putting on a “functional display” and suggested their perceived time-wasting should mean any league title would come with an “asterisk”.

    “The last league title we won, we weren’t great as a team, but no one is going back to that now, saying ‘oh, that Man United team that won that last title weren’t great,” said Rooney on the BBC’s Wayne Rooney Show.

    “I don’t think they’ve been as bad as what people are saying, I really don’t. “I’m not saying this because I like Arsenal, I’m saying this because I think it’s very unfair, the criticism they are receiving for being, what, seven points top of the league? If teams can’t deal with it, do it more. That’s what I’d be doing if I was Arteta.

    “Their focus is just trying to win games in any way possible and when you’re going for the title I don’t think you have to worry about how anyone thinks about how you play, as long as you win.”
    Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler also accused Arsenal of “making their own rules” following their 1-0 home defeat to Arteta’s side last week.

    Rooney, asked about Arsenal’s physical approach to set pieces, said: “If the officials aren’t going to do anything to stop that, and I don’t even think it’s a royal rumble…

    “If you’re not clever enough or you haven’t got the players who can deal with that, why would Arsenal not continue to do that?

    “Teams are finding it difficult to stop it. It’s part of the game, I love it, I think it’s been great. I’m sure Arteta doesn’t think this but they don’t have to change anything because people are moaning and complaining about it

  6. Cicero says:

    I watched a bit of the Genoa/Roma match last night. There were long throws, corner routines with plenty of grappling, in fact it was just like a lot of Premiership games.

    I think Arteta has started a world-wide revolution in football. 😉

  13. allezkev says:

    Shame Reiss Nelson isn’t in the squad tonight, apparently he’s just coming back from injury.

    Under contract to us until 2027 so I don’t know where he’s gonna be next season, probably not at Brentford, not on his salary.

  14. Stuart Noel Angus says:

    Welcome to your new home, Rico. Great place for dog walking.
    Kevski, it was a beating but we were punching well above our weight, a nation of five million v a nation of 1.47 billion, most of whom are born with a piece of willow in their hands.

    LG mentioned (in another part of the Arsenal metaverse) how blessed we are with the cup draws this season. Southampton was probs the second best draw we could have hoped for in terms of league possie and geography. The striker in my team down here played for the Saints all thru junior levels. He fancies them at home, but I fancy my chances of winning a beer off him.

  20. Aussie Geoff says:

    Morning Rico and all, I might be late to the party, but just read Arteta is looking at loaning Myles Lewis-skelly to Everton next season to gain more experience.

  22. Limey says:

    Good draw for Arsenal,although Southampton will be a test away,it’s good that City and Liverpool have been drawn together so one will be out.
    Chelsea get their traditional easy draw.
    I’m reading if Spurs lose badly tonight,Tudor could be out.

  24. allezkev says:

    Morning Gooners, morning Rico.

    The irony of Joe Cole saying Arsenal were lucky to draw Southampton after getting the easier half of the CL draw (which we earned by finishing top) and then drawing Chelsea at home to Port Vale, saying nothing about them being lucky was delicious.

  25. Limey says:

    Joe Cole really is a muppet with all the self-awareness you associate with Chelsea.
    Yes,with Tudor it’s a case of – we want you to stay.

  28. rico says:

    Ditto Le Gall.

    Had it not been for a pre match injury and then a suspension, we’d have seen him in that position twice in the last couple of months..

  29. Carmelsson says:

    Good afternoon Rico and all.

    Good post Rico. although its one extreme to the other we can only play what’s in front of us.

    Great match report yesterday Kev. I enjoyed reading it especially your humouristic ones. Subtle.

    I am the opposite of Jason Kev. Four cats and a Dogo Argentino. They adore him to bits and with them he is just a big puppy. With strangers and other foreign dogs he is a different story. The senior cat Lady Pappa (14 years plus) is his favourite kitty. But they all sleep around him except Sir Luckylot who sleeps by my side in bed. Actually he sleeps betwen me and the missus. But as long as its beside me then everything’s ok for him. Prince Shamp and Miss in Boots sleep with Lady Pappa and Dorcha (dogo). When Dorcha takes me out (not the other way round – he takes me out not me take him out) many steer clear. We walk a lot.

    I guess that now that we enter the home straight the hand brakes will come off. Yes we will still grind results but now that we are in the KO phase of CL/FA Cup/ and final of CC plus the final 8 games the players will commit now. At least that is my opinion. Fingers crossed we play to our strengths and win.

    Then the pundits will criticize us for playing great football

  30. Carmelsson says:

    Limey, if I’m not mistaken, Tudor’s last 8 games for Juventus were 5 draws and 3 defeats. So he is a serial loser in a way seeing that he is not winning with the spuds either.

  33. potter says:

    The thought of Joe Cole stringing a coherent sentence together is something in itself .

    Galatasary 1 up against the victims at half time .

  46. Cicero says:

    Liverpool lost to Galatasari 1 – 0. Newcastle and Barcelona draw 1 – 1. Poor old Spuds hammered 5 – 2.

    Will they sack their interim manager? Is there a masochistic manager out there willing to take on the Job?

    Goodnight Gooners, everywhere. 😴

  47. Aussie Geoff says:

    just repeating as first one went missing.

    Tottenham dragged their keeper after just 17 minutes, that has to be a record for a non-injury, he lasted less time than their managers do.

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