Morning all.
Not much to say about the game itself because if anyone was expecting us to play a very different game to the last few months then they’ll probably also be expecting Father Christmas to bring two central defenders, two left backs, a right back, central defensive midfielder and a partridge in a pear tree in ready for January 1st. Neither is going to happen.
What I would say though is how I admired Freddie for making such a bold call yesterday with not only his team selection but his comments after the game about Mesut Ozil and some of the senior players.
On Mesut Ozil:
I got asked after the game about Mesut. He walked off the pitch [in the Man City game] and then kicked his gloves. The fans were not happy. I got asked about it and said, ‘At Arsenal, that’s not how we behave and not what we do’. I stand by that. Mesut was injured but I would not have picked him for the squad because I want to make a stance that it’s not what I accept from an Arsenal football player. That’s my decision. I won’t make the decisions again but that’s what I think.
Freddie is right, Arsenal players should not behave in such a way. His sulky walk off the pitch to his throwing/kicking of gloves right in front of the dugout was shameful. I get players don’t like to be substituted but it’s all part of being a squad and what’s best for the team on the day. Ozil had had yet another stinker and that’s why Freddie hauled him off. If Ozil doesn’t want that to happen again, he needs to do more both in training and on a match day because if Freddie won’t tolerate his attitude, we can bet Mikel Arteta won’t either.
Freddie showed character too in his team selection which spoke volumes. Our senior players needed a wake up call because they aren’t doing enough.
I think we have a lot of talent but from what I said before against City, I wasn’t happy with the effort we put in. We played a top team and of course they’re very good, but you still need to run and you need to put in an effort. What I put on here today, I know they’re young and don’t have any experience – some even made their Premier League debuts and we had an 18-year-old at left back who’s a winger – but they did really, really well and dominated a game against Everton away from home. We, as a club, should be very proud of that.
A rare clean sheet was a positive, Chambers and Torreira throwing their bodies at an Everton shot was something we’ve been asking for for years. Xhaka was using his head, literally I mean, to clear the ball.
The movement from our front players though limited which again left the midfield with no outlet, certainly in the first half and Aubameyang especially looked rather disinterested to say the least. Substituting the captain said it all. Another player who will need to work a lot harder if he’s to be part of an Arteta team. I think he’ll be gone next month in any case.
Anyway, a point away from home with a very young and somewhat inexperienced side is a good result, especially at Goodison Park against an Everton team who’d been doing well.
For Freddie it’s back to his day job, helping Arteta deliver his plan. For the team/squad it’s hard work on the training ground under their new head coach before a trip to the south coast to face Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth on Boxing Day.
Saturday 21st December 2019, a date which in six months time, maybe even a year, I hope we can look back on and say ‘that’s when the ‘The’ started to creep back into The Arsenal.’
Have a good Sunday guys…
You have to love Freddy 🙂
Morning all.
Good afternoon Rico, thanks for another very relevant post.
There is no doubt that Arsenal are in a very precarious situation.
The squad is in total disarray, senior players, Aubameyang for one, wanting out and demonstrating their f**k the club and fans attitude. Ozil’s contempt for the last manager and for his interim successor. The situation is worsened by long term injuries to both left backs and the unreliability of our only right back also through persistent injury.
Unfortunately, I don’t hold out much chance of a dramatic improvement any time soon. Some recent acquisitions have proved to be costly failures. Ceballos and Tierney through injury, whilst Pepe has been entirely underwhelming, a £72 million player who has quickly demonstrated a lack of appetite for copping tackles and a disappointing attitude in training. Luiz, who should have brought stability and defensive nous to the table, has done neither.
Another major problem has been the club captaincy. Ozil, Aubameyang and Xhaka did not provide leadership on the pitch and are not fit to wear the armband. Apart from Leno, goal keepers are too remote from the action, the only player deserving of the captaincy is Callum Chambers.
It’s going to take more than fine words to put this mess right and the executive management must not only give Arteta the fullest backing, but must invest whatever money the Kroenkes allow in players who are actually capable of significantly improving the squad.
I do. 😂
Afternoon Scott, yeah, we all love Freddie, he’s done a bloody good job in awful circumstances, I really hope that he stays and works with Arteta, a bit like Pat Rice stayed and worked with Wenger.
Cheers Mike, yes it’s been very busy in London, the traffic congestion is terrible, all caused by the crackpot transport policies of Transport for London, Camden Council and Westminster Council, the roads are appalling, meanwhile the air quality on the London Underground is at highly dangerous levels, all under the auspices of TfL and the lunatics at County Hall.
Rant over… 🙂
Afternoon Rico, thanks for the post, I’ll let you know what I think of it after I’ve read it. 😁
Afternoon and thanks Cicero.
For sure there are issues to be resolved but I’m pretty optimistic…I don’t see what Arteta said as just being a few fine words but listening to man who knows what needs doing and a board ready to back him.
Yes Rico, that was an ok post, in fact it was very good, you are getting better and better all the time at this blogging lark…. 😉
Thanks Rico for penning this. Greatly thrilled with our game yesterday. Never seen an arsenal side fight, run and stay committed for ninety whole minutes recently. I have always believed that our defence is not as bad as our results have shown. Defending is for ten outfield players and not just for the four players I front of the keeper. Yesterday, Everton had zero shots on goal and our post was not used for shooting practice all because our front men and midfielders for once did their job.
We can then safely say that previous managers either did not demand this or if they did, were not ruthless enough to call out the players. Thank God that Arteta was watching and knows now that it was laziness and failure of the managers to know that talent is not enough. Players must give everything on the pitch – required energy levels, marking, tackling, hassling opponents, closing down the opponent/pressing and all.
We must never go back to where we have just escaped from yesterday. Thank you Freddie and good luck Arteta
I’ll keep practising Kev, thank you. 😂
Dan, I think you have a point.
Considering Everton have a guy like Richarlison who has been in very good form recently, to keep him quiet was a real positive.
Saka at left back, great effort, AMN at right back too was much more energetic. Xhaka was better too I thought. Far from perfect, but it’s a start.
Move the lazy ones out of the club and have a whole new work ethic drilled into the squad.
It’s almost as if a dark cloud has lifted off of the club, Arteta talks a good game, says all the things we want to hear and now has to put it into practice.
I’ve not been too enthused by Arsenal at all this season barring pre season where we looked good – God knows where that evaporated to?
But I’m really looking forward to Bournemouth on Boxing Day, it’s as if our season began yesterday at Goodison Park. We defended as if it meant something, I don’t think Everton had a shot on target. Funny how the media were making such a fuss about the shots Arsenal have been conceding this season but not a squeak about our shut out yesterday – our duplicitous friends in the Press and the media have airbrushed it away focusing on how poor the game was.
Arsenal should have won, a fact also ignored…
I wonder how many media and press types we’re secretly praying for a season of Arsenal relegation?
Well fcuk them….
Your very welcome Rico, I try my best to encourage you as often as I can, well done… 😄
Arsenal does not have a Rules of Procedure with penalties for those who violate it? For example: Ozil’s attitude should be in accordance with the Rules of Procedure and the penalty that occurs depending on the gravity of the situation should be written. Everything was settled inwardly and when the players signed the contract, they knew in advance that the Rules of Conduct were subject to or penalized accordingly. Therefore, the coach would not have to come to “public square” to make considerations, which only show disorganization, because everything was between the “walls of the Club”
.If not, this is the first step to (re) organizing the Club. They could start by doing an “internship” with F.C. Porto. Like Arsenal, it has to “fight” against the biased Lisbon press, against being from Porto and not from Lisbon, against the envy of winning what they shouldn’t win, etc. The way to keep not opo in all modalities, is the internal discipline, is to emphasize the values of being of F. C. Porto, is that the defeats are not of one but of all, etc.
The Lisbon Clubs have started using the same model and have all media controlled.
Kev, your 12-55 comment is spot in. Hate to say this but I feel the same could be said about more than just the media. I wonder how many arsenal fans thought we were crap yesterday instead of thinking about how well our youngsters did against a strong Everton team?
And yes, much much better defensively and had Auba not stolen that ball from ESR, we might have won.,
As you said yesterday, six young English players is a big thing.
😂 cheeky
Thanks Rico, it’s been a long time since I listened to an Arsenal manager talking to the Press and felt a twinge of excitement, Arteta seems such a deep and intelligent thinker on the game and whilst putting it into practice is quite another matter I’m sure that most of our players have the same feelings as the fans, after all they need structure in their game and need to buy into what a Coach is telling them.
I really loved the ruthless comment, he isn’t here to make friends, he’s here to win and if certain individuals don’t want to buy in then see ya later alligator.
I also suspect that he might have more influence and be more insistent on who the club signs and won’t put up with some alternative cobbled together by Stat DNA and Jorge Mendes.
Chambers suspended for Bournemouth is a disappointment but the others will just have to step up to the plate in his absence. No more hiding, no more excuses…
Afternoon Rico and the House
Thanks for another excellent post Rico,I do not know
how you can keep penning them.
Like you and Kev I am more than happy with yesterdays game.
I agree that playing 6 young English players is a big thing but the fact
that 5 of them are from Hale End is even bigger.
Nelson was 14, AMN, Willock, ESR and Saka 15 when I saw them for the first
time. Now to see them playing together in the P/L is fantastic.
The only downside is every one of them were playing out of their best position
but I will go along with that for the time being
Nice uplifting post rico.
I’m with all that kev has said. He speaks with intelligent tongue, sometimes 😉
The media have, and always will have it in for The Arsenal. We have never been their darlings.
I like the fresh and frank speeches Arteta has made since being announced.
He needs to make some bold decisions, that not all Arsenal fans will agree with. Thats tough in my book, our new manager hopefully will stamp out the prima donas in our dressing room, no matter how big they think they are and how much salary they are on.
Clean the place up and get players who want to play for our wonderful club.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Mikel will make us great once more.
COYG
Arteta has held his first training session and more youngsters took part.
there are 28 photos on the main website for those who can get.
Take a good look at photo 13.
IS Guendouzi sticking his tongue out at Arteta behind his back
Looks like it to me.
Think you might be reading too much into it , as we all know a camera is an unforgiving thing that catches us in the wrong moment . At least I hope so because if there is anybody best suited to talk about Guendouzi’s position it’s Arteta .
Getting hid thoughts over are all that matters at the moment and until his coaching team gets appointed he is working at a disadvantage . No doubt he is looking at the coaches as much as the players . We can’t underestimate the mountain that he has to climb . Today he is talking to Freddie who nailed his colours firmly to the mast yesterday . I would like to be a fly on that wall as would most of us I reckon.
I wish there was an edit feature then I could change hid to his.
Thank you VCC, I do enjoy the odd occasion of clarity.
Then I have a lay down to recover… 😉
No it’s not tongue insulting. It’s more the ‘I’m concentrating hard on what I’m hearing’ tongue. My son has one of those when ever he’s doing anything that requires 100% concentration.
Now me, when ever I stick my tongue out it looks like a great long pointy thing with darts attached to it. Nothing like Guendouzie’s thoughtful roll mop of a tongue!
They all look pretty involved in the training session, except Lacazette! Significant???
We all have our own views of someone else’s camera shots. Just saying.
Hey Rick, I don’t think that there was anything in tonguegate, to me Guendouzi was just licking his lips.
Good old Watford. 😂
Afternoon and thanks Rick, Vcc.
Kev, it’s been a long time since I’ve listened to an Arsenal manager full stop. 😂
Is that Tolaji Bola wearing number 40?
I wonder if he’s going get his chance at left back against Bournemouth – his thighs are enormous.
#just saying…
I imagine he was licking himself.
Are you watching the football Adam?
I was Tivo. Out now
I saw it RIco. In a restaurant now.
You employ Mourinho and that’s the football you get I suppose.
Red card for Song, two goals for William, a walk in the park for Chelsea. Even the awful Gary Neville criticised the Spuds.
Sky managed NOT to show the early leaving Spurs fans.
I find it hard to understand the mentality of anyone who shouts racist abuse.
Who is Tivo?
I’d be a bit surprised if Arteta chucked Bola in at the deep end at Southampton Rico, he might have been having a look at him on Freddie’s recommendation?
What about Bournemouth Kev? 😂
Look Rico, Bournemouth AND Southampton I meant…. 😳😉
Is it fair to say there’s a lot more excitement amongst fans right now than there has been for a years, and I include the days after Emery was announced?
The common theme seems to be how impressed people were with the Arteta press conference, and while we all know words aren’t everything, he never missed a single beat, and fans believe in the man already.
We have a buzz again.
There’s a long road ahead, but we have the right man steering is!
Morning all.
Morning Rico an all. Sorry about the TiVo thing last night. The restaurant was dimly lit and I couldn’t see the phone. 😃
And I’ll bet you were drinking water, hey Adam hahahahaha
Morning Scott. Quite seriously, I was. You must remember from that evening we had in London that I’m not a drinker.
Although, come to think of it….😉
Yes, it’s hard for me to remember much at all about trip 🙂
Hi All I know its no excuse but why would lacazette want to train hard knowing that the fill in coach will not select you. I hope Freddie goes back to the under 23 and Arteta does not wrap him self with his ex team mates as assistance.
Scott. Then let me assure you it was a laugh.
Arsenal were shit then too.😃
6-0 at Stamford Bridge supports your comment lol
Geoff,
Arteta said he wants to talk to the players and find out what they’re thinking/feeling.
He wants to take the excuses for poor performances away so I dare say he will
play anyone who’s putting the effort in.
Morning Adam, all.
New post up..