Morning all.
The first half was awful, for Arsenal especially. I thought Everton the better team. Three good chances for them. Cech did well when Calvert-Lewin was through, Richarlison curled one just wide of the far post and then Walcott with the third which Cech covered well. Monreal had one saved by Pickford, we rattled the bar at some stage, or rather a ball into the box hit the bar and then just before the break, Lacazette should have been awarded a penalty after being pulled back in the box. By staying on his feet meant Moss could keep his whistle in his hand. That’s what honesty gets you. Nothing! Torreira, having rightly been booked early in the game, was fortunate to say the least to have not been given his marching orders after another bad one. Handbags exchanged between Emery and Silva before Sokratis left the pitch injured. Holding came on in his place. Moss then puffed out his cheeks and blew his whistle.
There was nothing during that forty five minutes of football to convince me that this Arsenal team is any better than the one Arsene Wenger left behind. But then I have to keep telling myself that apart from one or two, it usually is the team which Wenger left behind. And they’re pretty much playing the same way too.
The second half was marginally better. Ramsey, although I’ve no idea how he did it, connected with an Ozil corner which was inch perfect to the Welshman stoon outside the box. The direction of his strike was all wrong as it flew straight into Pickford arms but boy, it was such a clean hit. A metre either side and he’d have been celebrating I’m sure. As it turned out, we were soon after. After another penalty decision turned down I hasten to add. Lacazette was the scorer with a peach of a finish. He played the ball to Ramsey initially, the Welshman returned the favour and then one touch to cut inside his man before a curling strike lifted up, around and over Pickford. Stunning.
1-0 soon became 2-0. A breakaway left us three against two, Ozil, Ramsey and Aubameyang. Between them they tried hard to cock it up but Aubameyang ended up putting the ball into the back of the net. Offside? Yep, miles off but who cares, not after Moss cocked up on at least one penalty decision.
That’s how it ended. Another Arsenal win, the seasons first clean sheet and all achieved after yet another really poor performance. Petr Cech might be struggling to master the Emery style of playing out from the back but yesterday, he was superb.
For Everton, Richarlison was excellent I thought. Bellerin really struggled against him and on a different day, it might very well have been him walking away with the match ball in hand.
Next up it’s Brentford in the League Cup on Wednesday night. They’ll fancy their chances I’m sure. Between now and then though, let’s hope we get some good news on Sokratis injury.
Good morning Rico, at half time yesterday I was seriously considering switching off, or putting an empty beer bottle through the screen. But having lived through some pretty dire games, and periods, in the last sixty-eight years of supporting Arsenal I persevered and was rewarded with three second half minutes of exhilarating football as well as two goals. The fact that one of them should have been ruled out for offside made it even sweeter. What goes around, sometimes, comes around. 😉
Thanks for the post Rico, back later.
Thanks Rico and morning everyone………………..oh well, we had rain for two days and now the BBC for my area says it`s sun sun sun for the conceivable futre ! 🙁
I feel on any other given day Everton would have been out of sight in the first half and we would be scathing of Dicks footballing philosophy, very lucky indeed !. Yes I know the post sort of indicates this non existant defense is still partly Wenger`s fault, but he`s gone and Dick has had time to bring some organisation, it`s Dicks team now !…………….if we win the Quintraple of cups do we praise Wenger ?……………and what`s happened to the so called pressing game ?
It`s hard trying to get my head around that Dick needs plenty of time when even though the results are fine the performances are dire in defense, I feel we are going to get stuffed sooner or later if we keep performing defensively like yesterdays 1st half.
Everton might be down the bottom at the moment, but they looked a good team and wont be there for long………………Richarlison looked the player I`m hoping Auba will be, but then again if Auba keeps scoring then who cares !
The Terrier definately looks the player we have been crying out for………….I reckon he`s a Wenger signing !
🙂
Morning all.
Agree mostly with your very able summation of events. Not a game we can be very proud of, I think. The first half was dire, both up front and in defence. Richarlson was very good, in fact he was the only point of watching! I really enjoyed his first half performance. Hector did have a torrid defensive day, again, but going forward he had one of his best games for a while. Good running, good interchanging of passing at pace and more than a few very dangerous crosses. Not bad, not bad at all. Just to add. I think Richarlison would have turned most full backs inside out playing as he did yesterday, he’s just a very talented box of tricks. Bellerin just defended as only he can…..not very well!
As for the result. It was a good win. Lacazette’s goal was Henryesque, some compliment that’s! And Auba’s goal, despite being offside was reminiscent of many of the Freddie/Pires goals we got on the counter, back in the day! One thing is for certain offensively we are exceptionally good. Sadly we’re defensively no better than a Sunday league team that plays on Hackney Downs!
Good result, poor display,. Still very much. A work in progress. Just hope Dick is up to the task. I’ve not seen much if any improvement on the pitch from the Wenger ball laissez faire approach to “soccer”!
Wall to wall blue sky here and forecast for the rest of the week!
We can not keep blaming Wenger, imo.
Emery is the man and we must support him, but equally, we should criticise him when things go wrong.
4 wins on the trot suggest we are going ok atm, though.
Winning when playing average football is a good sign, and we will start playing good football soon enough.
Morning all.
Afternoon Cicero, all.
I know emery needs time, just as he needs a couple of transfer windows but as has already been said, the way we’re playing seems no different to the way we did under Wenger. the only difference is playing out from the back and even that is a million miles away from working..
Hi
I’m really pleased to have found HH again after losing the bookmark for a long time.
When Man U play bad and win the pundits say it’s the sign of a good team. When we do it they say it’s lucky. Nothing changes.
I think Leno’s performance on Thursday had a lot to do with the Cech one yesterday – competition is never a bad thing!
Brian
Interesting from Cech, no great surprise though:
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/sep/24/petr-cech-arsene-wenger-style-arsenal-unai-emery-football
Brian, I think if we won playing badly every so often it would be different.
But, what irks me is that Pep and Klopp went through tough times at the beginning of their time here and had major defensive issues to address. They were given that time and that’s what Emery needs imo. If after 2/3 more transfer windows there’s still no sign of vast improvement then fine, but he needs to buy his own players. The one’s he’s signed so far have been very good I think.
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I think the playing out from the back tactic has three main parts.
1) To retain possession after the ‘keeper has hold of the ball.
2) To draw the opposition players away from their defensive positions.
3) To then move the ball quickly forward to take advantage of the space created.
We are beginning to achieve 1) and 2), but are not playing at a high enough tempo to make the most of the opportunities offered, although yesterday we did twice and scored two goals as a result.
In the first half of yesterday’s game the Everton players were not falling into the trap but as they tired, and thought they could smell a victory, they lost their defensive discipline and gave us the space we needed.
It’s worth noting that once Everton started to leave the space behind them both Cech and Xhaka played some long balls over the top.
Cech and the centre backs need to develop a better understanding but in general I think the tactic is starting to work.
Afternoon Gooners.
I think that it’s a great habit for any aspiring team, to be able to play average and still manage to win games, that after all is what top sides do.
So say the pundits…..
I like the energy we show now, the fouls we give away, we don’t roll over anymore and i that is what is irritating the media and the /press. They want their fragile Arsenal back.
Under Wenger we’d play pretty tippy tappy flowery football, the press would say we’re the team that neutrals love to watch and then we’d lose to a corner or free kick into the box because we were soft, everyone knew it, and we have remained the top six scalp that the lower clubs target as a potential result and that’s been the case for the last 7 or 8 years.
Mourinho loved us, Ferguson pitied us, Hughes/Pulis/Allardyce got in our face, Riley stitched us up, Barcelona, Bayern, etc had a grin the size of runway three at Heathrow when we came out of the pot, lest we forget…..
Btw….. Nice post Rico.
I’m really warming to Emery, he’s taking his time, evaluating players, trying different tactics, getting us fit, organised (well trying) and resilient. It’s not attractive but it shows how bad we’d become under Wenger, how the malaise had eaten away the core of this great club.
How that ‘over my dead body’ attitude had been allowed to just disappear.
No pride in the shirt, ambivalent about the fans, jobs for the boys and backroom staff across the 1st team and Academy, the whole thing was rotten to it’s very heart
And it was presided over by an unambitious, absent owner who only woke up when the cash machine stopped ringing and the ground was half empty. That apathy hasn’t gone away either and it’s Kroenke fault for allowing this to fester on as long as it did.
Enos is awake now, he has the shares now, so let’s see what he’s prepared to invest, in order to get us back to thre top table…
Rant over 😀
Hello Rico,
A little quiet today (?) I guess the others are suffering from shock that we managed to win?.
I only saw about five minutes of the first half and all of the second so yes, at least it was one penalty call that I knew about just before Lacazette scored a great goal.
Some of the passing was just abysmal, straight to the opposition (thanks boys) and, Özil couldn’t keep the ball and rarely made a telling pass. Didn’t he do some extra strength(bulk) building last year so he wouldn’t be knocked off the ball so easily? Yesterday, after being knocked off the ball, he never tried to get the ball back. He doesn’t impress me anymore and frankly he’s an expensive, past-his-best talent.
I was surprised to see Steve Bould as assistant coach yesterday as I thought all of Wengers staff were swept out?
Maybe that’s why the “defence” is STILL dodgy? Am I the only one who notices the same mistakes being repeated by the group of players that are jokingly referred to as “Defenders”, in the Club’s Website Teams list?
Whenever the opposition get the ball out to the right wing (in particular) to whoever is in that position, they seem to be able to put in a cross to the far post where the forwards are lining up to score at will. Why is this not being addressed by the coaching staff as the player who delivers the ball should be hard pressed to do that, unless his name is Messi.
Then of course nobody marks individual players…………it’s all zonal marking – so exasperating!
A stat to enforce The Terrier starts every major game………………………………………..“Arsenal have now conceded 0.6 goals per 90 minutes when Torreira has been on the pitch this season, and 2.5 per 90 when he has not.”…………………………although this stat doesn`t take in the luck that Everton`s finishing wasn`t up to scratch and Cech having a blinder ! 🙂
Afternoon Andorra, it’s quiet most days on here.
Thanks Kev, I didn’t look at things like you mention. Good points so yes, improvements are there. Once the standard of football catches up we should do well. Lol
About yesterday game:
I’m later but a few comments:
a) Agree with the text. Torreira could be sent off; Cech was the MoM; the second goal was a clear offside; the first hal was awful; is this the new Arsenal?
b) Richarlison. I never understand why we were not run for him. Could give us others chances. He is completely adapted to English football. Could be not very expensive.
c) We are trying to put the ball in play from the goalkeeper. These are constant problems. We have no players to do so. We are pressured and we start to play with our backs to the game. With the lines little grouped. It is scary!
d) Ozil: produces little. Mark corners, free kicks and appear punctually, with some artistic note is short. Does not defend. We always lost the midfield and yesterday Cesc saved us and in the games we won, the best quality of the ours forwards compared to the other teams make the difference. Against Sporting (Europa League opponent) for example, yesterday’s result had been another. And now: to the place of Ozil, see Bruno Fernandes from Sporting in a few days.
Now Rico, stop teasing me with complaints about things being quiet because I can change that hahahahahaha
JM, I must say I agree totally that Richarlison is a damn good footballer, and someone is happily have at the club.
Morning all.
Ha ha Scott, think we’ve had enough of that.. 😉
Indeed 🙂
And so onto Brentford , hopefully a different team but not so weak that we fall at the first hurdle. It is important that the youngsters get playing time but the more rounds we get through the more chance they get.
Lovely sunny day 20c, so gardening took up quite a bit of time. Clearing Conservation Corner, an overgrown patch at the bottom of the garden which has produced blackberries and elderberries which the birds have feasted upon, a buddleia that has attracted a range of butterflies and has provided a safe haven for a pair of wrens to raise a family.
Back to football tomorrow.
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…missing words, lovely, patch, feasted, wrens.
Potter, Emery has said Cups over top four place so we’re likely to see a pretty strong side.
Sounds lovely Cicero. I’ve been doing similar but it’s grapes our birds have fed on. All these coloured berries make for a colourful patio… 😜😜
Evening all.
Clear night left frost on my car windows, but lovely and sunny for my tour around Cornwalls coastal towns with delightfull pies and cakes……………….salted caramel torte is my current fav`………………..
Interesting change of rules for Carabeo Cup, if after 90 mins the game is a draw then it`s straight to penalties , no extra time ! ……………….could this lead to smaller clubs parking the bus against big teams and going to the penalty lottery ?
Think it was the same last season Lc.
Just double checked Rico, this is the first time it will happen !
Morning all.
Interesting rule change but clubs know going into the game, so be it.
Sean’s side just beat FC Utrecht academy squad 2-1, and little mate scored!!!!
Just a tap in, he said, but being in the right place at the right time gets a goal just as a 30 yard volley 🙂 🙂
He’s very grounded, which is great, and seems more excited at being in an all-you-can-eat buffet where he’s currently making his own ice cream hahahahaha
That’s kids for you!!!
Sorry for theboroud dad moments of late but hey, I’m a proud dad.
I’m missing the boy, but he’s home in a few days.
Nothing wrong with being a proud dad, Scott, one of lifes great feelings and the longer it lasts the better !
Making his own Ice Cream aswell !………………………..fcuk me, what a life !………………..from an Ice Cream addict, it doesn`t get better !
🙂
Nothing wrong with being proud of your kids Scott. I’m proud of my two boys and they’re both in their forties. Both married with kids and both run their own successful businesses.
Told you the smaller teams will park the bus in this cup and try to win from pens !……………………………Manshafter have just equalised in 6 minutes of “Fergie ” time ! 🙂
Aparrently a well deserve win for Derby County. Well that`s one of the big teams gone and another one will go when Chavs and Bindippers play !……………………….our quest for The Quintuple gathers pace !
🙂
LC, the ice cream thing made me laugh!!!
Classic kid moment.
Cicero, yeah, I just hope people aren’t sick of the updates lol
It’s a massive thing for his school, as it shows they’re heading in the right direction when the kids can match it with high level competition.
We really didn’t know how we’d compete until this trip so it makes it all worth the effort of getting him to the school, paying for it, paying for the trips etc etc etc
Brendford is not very good memory of times gone by.
No, the history is not great, Arsenal vs Brentford. Played 10 Won 2 Lost 5 Drawn 3. The last time we played them in a competitive match was a 1 – 0 away win in 1947.
It’s going to be a tough time tonight, even getting to the ground will be a problem, with the Piccadilly Line shut down by a strike.
And the preseason match meant nothing…
New post up now.
Morning by the way…