Morning all.
A clean sheet and three points on the road are hard to come by for Arsenal these days so to beat Southampton at St Mary’s yesterday evening made a refreshing change. It wasn’t a great performance, but three points are three points sometimes. This was one of those times.
Sky Sports commentary was boring. If I had a pound for every time Smudger and his side kick mentioned our defeat at Brighton, I’d be a wealthy woman this morning.
Granit Xhaka returned yesterday evening to partner Dani Ceballos in midfield. Eddie Nketiah was preferred up front to Alexandre Lacazette and I think that was it for changes to our starting eleven other than the forced change with Emi Martinez replacing the injured Bernd Leno.
Rob Holding was good, solid. Saka was too. Eddie Nketiah was a menace and Aubameyang was full of running again. Martinez, although his kicking was a bit off at times, was very good. Southampton were reduced to ten men after Aubameyang was upended just outside their penalty area. Lacazette crashed the resulting free kick into the wall, saw his follow up shot parried by their keeper but then Willock pounced to make it 2-0. Eddie’s goal might have looked easy but credit where it’s due, he was in the right place to take advantage of the Southampton goalkeeper’s cockup. Aubameyang hit the bar early in the game on a day when he could so easily have been going home with the match ball.
The game itself wasn’t great but then it was incredibly hot so it couldn’t have been easy on any of the players. Ozil looked chilled though sat with his umbrella and surrounded by all his mates. We created a lot of chances and despite Southampton looking a little stronger after halftime, we kept them out. We needed that. Mikel Arteta needed that if for no other reason than to shut the bleedin media up about not winning an away game.
Here’s some of the best bits.
After the game, Mikel Arteta discussed our chances of qualifying for Europe:
“I am always very positive. We have enough time, we have enough games left to do it. We had two defeats for the first time since I joined, but now we have won and it lifts the spirit, it lifts the belief.”
“The calendar of the Premier League has given us is pretty tough. We have four away games and we have to recover the players now.”
The pre-match interest was focused on Matteo Guendouzi being dropped. From a great height too as he didn’t even make the squad. He stepped out of line during our last match and this is Mikel Arteta telling him that Arsenal won’t accept such behaviour. Arteta won’t accept such behaviour. I wasn’t surprised and as said the other day, if another club make a decent offer for him, I can see Arsenal accepting it.
Just one of many decisions Arsenal need to make in relation to this current squad. Who stays and who in the in the words of Anne Robinson needs to be told ‘you are the weakest link, goodbye.’ Who comes in in addition to Pablo Mari and Cedric.
I know we scoff at players in the mould of Mari, Cedric and Luiz but think about it, if the club are planning to sell Mustafi and Papa. Add another quality central defender and we’ll have five centre-backs, including one who is on a long road to return and another who at just 19 years old really shouldn’t be the guy our upcoming season depends on.
Cedric, oh how we football fans love to jump on a signing just because another club allowed him to leave for free. Arsenal are notorious for doing exactly that so perhaps we should hang fire before judging this particular freebie.
He’s a bad signing in relation to sell on value but he could turn out to be a shrew signing who gives the team something right now and for the next couple of seasons. Well, when he’s fit. Cedric’s experience might work for Arsenal in a way James Milner did for Liverpool.
David Luiz is the one I can’t get my head around.
Soares and Mari aside, what happens next is something we’d all like to know I’m sure. I’d like to think it’s clear out time. You know, new broom sweeps clean and all that. Mikel Arteta has had enough time to see who is on board with him and who isn’t.
It matters not what name is on the back of the shirt, it’s the name on the front which matters. Too many Arsenal players have forgotten that.
Finally. Congratulations to Liverpool who ran away with the Premier League title. Jurgen Klopp has done a fantastic job up there, supported by excellent owners.
Arsenal need KSE to follow their example.
See you in the comments guys.
Morning Rico and all. Three points gratefully received.
Anybody watching Hector since he came back from a horrible injury can’t help but wonder if he can pick it all up again. He was woeful last night. With this in mind, the Soares signing looks prudent.
Bellerin is a typical Wenger fullback, good going forward, capable of putting in a good cross and has an eye for the occasional goal but pretty well hopeless at actually defending.
His recovery pace helped to mask his lack of positional sense, but that pace has fallen away subsequent to his injuries. Several times, last night, he lost possession up-field and struggled to get back to his defensive position.
Having to play in the shambolic defensive combinations under Wenger and Emery has made it difficult for Arteta to re-educate the youngish Spaniard.
If the current situation does not improve quickly then Soares might well be the answer.
I see all the old suspects are lining up for Guendouzi , PSG , Barca , Inter , Atletico Madrid . According to French papers . If he’s leaking things this way it’s a big mistake.
Holding was my real benefit from last night I still believe in him and just because he isn’t eye catching doesn’t make him average. He just methodically goes about this job and calmly gets it done. Whether it’s Saliba , Mari or Chambers that lines up alongside him I think we look a lot more assured with him there. I see McLintock’s Simpson in him .
Ozil with his parasol is living the life of Reilly, I think it sums up his life’s languid attitude . Why push when it’s easy to sit back and let the rest do it for him. It really is time for him to go but I am sure we have another year of it to wait through.
Videos have a habit of making players look good but from that he looks strong with a bit of pace and an early cross which I am sure the forwards will appreciate and he can and does tackle .
Morning Rico, thanks for the post, yesterday I watched the game with the sound turned down for the entirety of the 90 minutes, I didn’t bother with any of the pre match build up and it’s plethora of mind numbing adverts I just watched the game and you know what, I really enjoyed it and will continue to do so when we face Sheffield Utd next. Not having some idiot continually gabbling away telling me the obvious was a real plus. Alan Smith is boring, loved him as a player but as a pundit he’s really very dull, so I didn’t miss him and we won, a win win…
Really enjoyed how we played defensively, I reckon we’ll take a similar system up to Sheffield on Sunday, is it, I’ve lost track? Yeah, the 28th…
Holding was very calm and competent and just needs to stay fit, Saka was really impressive and I loved the way Nketiah had the Saints constantly looking over their shoulders as he chased them down and stole possession, more of the same on Sunday I hope…
As for the Premier League Champions, well they are the Convid Champions, I’m bored with them already….
Morning Adam, Cicero, Potter and all.
Agree on Bellerin which makes the Cedric signing more important. He’s clearly impressed in training. He looks strong and certainly no shrinking violet.
I do hope Holding can go on an interrupted run of games now. He’s so mature for a young defender.
Smith really annoys me Kev. Terrible anti Arsenal pundit who focuses on the negative and fails to see anything really positive.
I’m going to mention Willock too. We lack goals from midfield but he scored one. Right place at the right time and a calm finish.
Honestly, I enjoy watching our younger players as their enthusiasm is refreshing.
Don’t be fooled Rico, Kolascinac looked like a beast when he arrived but turned out to be a bit of a pussy cat.
Kev, at least Smiffy’s brummy accent is a relief after the scouse blethering so often heard on both Sky and BT Sport. 😉
.. Another one Sue :- talk on, talk on and you’ll never talk alone….you’ll never talk alone 😂
Cicero, one has to factor Arsene Wenger into the Kolasinac situation, same as Gabriel. Arsene didn’t like physical players so probably told him to wind it in. Cedric is a whole different scenario.
Morning all.
I just watched the replay, and what stood out was in fact Bellerin and how poor he was.
As with Holding, ok hoping it’s a matter of time and match okay before he gets back to his best but, as a few of pointed out, his best really wasn’t that great and his speed was his asset.
If that doesn’t come back, and there is a big chance it won’t, he’s just a very average RB.
I thought we pretty good last night, we we’ve struggled for years v Soton, especially away so to get a win is a huge plus.
If you concentrate, maybe you can guess the correct words in my previous post to help it make sense.
Stupid bloody phone!!!!!
Some words it throws in aren’t even close!!!!!
Morning Rico and All
Just like most I was drawn to Holding most of the game,
what impressed me the most was his chit-chat,the part
of the game I like best,Micky has to stay with him now
he will make mistakes,but will improve hopefully with
a run.
Kaka Saka had a great game for a young lad,also
Tiny Teeny looked class on the ball.
Going by the signing of Cold Soars,Micky must
rate him,or is it.Just cover?
Bellarina should be pushing on now,But his not.
On his defending He got the wrong side a lot.
I’m sure if Mickys hair could move,it would have.
Musthavacraper gave 100% I thought,where as
Peperoni looked like he just got out of bed.
Ever ready Eddy put himself about,reminded
me a bit of the great south londoner Wrighty.
Taxi sorry auba done a bit of sight seeing,
but did a shift as usual.
Martini looked a bit shaken but not stirred he
looked as cool as an ice-cube,at times plus a
bit of chat.
3 Points we needed bad lets hope we push on.
Not only do have we the 4×2’s in a few weeks,
we have that nasty little Foder,to listen too.
Ha ha Scott, I didn’t notice any difference.. lol
Morning Fred, I’ve no idea which players you’re talking about 😂 but agree re Holding. To drop him now wouldn’t do his confidence any good whatsoever. Stick with him through the good, and if he makes the odd mistake.
Oh Rico, that’s bloody terrible, no matter how true 🙂
Rico I captained a west indian team many years ago
wish I could remember all the different names I got called
when the managerread out the team and me Skipper.😁
I was gonna say something about your 11.38 Scott but I don’t want you thinking that I’m digging you out mate…. 😄
But yeah, as you and Adam mentioned earlier the form of Bellerin is a concern, I’m not ready to bin him yet and we’ve not seen Soares either, but he needs to work on his passing.
I wonder if there’s any truth in our interest in that 19 year old right back from West Ham whose out of contract?
I can’t think of any young full backs in the Stiffs or youths and I reckon that Osei Tutu will probably be sold this summer, not least because he’s over 21.
These phones have a mind of their own, Kev.
Sometimes I forget to check it before posting, quite obviously 🙂
Is it really your phone, Scott, or just your eyesight?! 😉😂
Potter… thank you for that! It really made me chuckle!! Just the job 🙂
Hi Rico… nice one! I can’t stand listening to the pre-match, half time or post match… too busy blogging anyway 😉
I don’t mind Tyler and Neville’s commentary… as for the others… meh!!
Happy with the win, I really didn’t see it coming.. and I’m glad I didn’t make it to the bookies, Rico, 😂😉
Just gutted about City…. I really hope it’ll be another 30 years before I have to witness this again!!! It’s painful….
Thank goodness we turn our attention to the FA cup this weekend…. what’s the betting we’ll still have to listen to them all harping on about LFC, even though they ain’t even in it!!! Haha!!
Oh and btw, I want to keep Guendouzi, I do really like him 🙂
I wonder how many trees Hector has planted so far?!!
Ha ha Scott.
Hi Sue, that lot from Merseyside will be going on about this for years. As will Sky Sports who are no doubt, thrilled they’ve won it. I don’t mind Tyler and Neville, at least one of them despises Liverpool.
I’m glad we’re going to Sheffield with a win behind us.
Exactly that, Rico… I have something in common with Neville 😝
I am too..it was a massive win! Sheff Utd have suffered back to back 3-0 losses with a 0-0 prior to that, so Wilder will be hoping for a reaction!! They haven’t exactly been prolific of late, so it’s all set up to be a belter…. Love the cup, can’t wait 😊
I’d so love us to spank SU good and proper Sue. Aubameyang must be due a few goals.
R.I.P Theo Foley , One of Georges right hand men with Houston , Had a great reputation as a coach and was largely responsible for the Rocastle , Davis , Thomas , Adams era .
Aged 83
Cheers Rico.
Must admit that Smudger Smith is the nearest a human can possibly be to a real life Cardboard Cut Out!
I know it`s not great that the Micky Mousers won the league, but you have to warmed by the heart felt gesture of the Merseyside Police to mark the occasion after 30 years with a 30 day Wheel and Hub Cap Amnesty………………….
Sue 2.38, I think it’s all those corks hanging off of his hat and getting in the way…
😂😂 brilliant, Kev!!
David Luiz:
Social networks are not a completely faithful thermometer of the feeling of all the fans of a football team and, to be honest, there is none that can capture with 100% certainty what millions of people are thinking, but it was none. surprised that the responses to the tweet in which Arsenal announced David Luiz’s contract renewal for another season were mostly negative.
The message also announced the extension of Dani Ceballos’ loan and the definitive signings of Pablo Marí and Cédric and, considering that the former is still a young man with potential and the other two barely played, it is not such a big leap to imagine that the lamentations have been motivated by the player who, a week ago, committed a crucial failure, a penalty and was sent off in half an hour.
The most echoed message was a headline from a satirical website that said that the man who thought he had lost all hope lost a little more hope that he didn’t even know he still had, and although it may be a little exaggerated, as everything usually is on the internet, it is possible to understand why many Arsenal fans are terrified by the prospect of another year of David Luiz.
When the Brazilian defender was hired, about a year ago, the majority analysis, including mine, was that Luiz could be a good deal for Arsenal. It did not require a high throughput and offered experience to a defense that needed it. It wouldn’t solve the team’s problems in that sector, but it would be a cost-effective fix for a certain period.
Right. We got it wrong. First because at the end of May, The Athletic did the math and found that David Luiz cost Arsenal £ 24 million, out of the £ 8 million paid to Chelsea, £ 6 million in commissions and £ 10 million in salaries. It is not so much, but neither is cheap. Second, and mainly, because what he has been delivering to the team has not made up for the crucial mistakes that are costing points that keep the club out of the Champions League fight.
It is good to make it clear at the outset that if Arsenal are not among the top four, and before Thursday’s games they were ten points behind Chelsea, it will not be just David Luiz’s fault. He managed to lose against Brighton, which he had not won in 2020, without him. There are other problems, serious and profound problems. The other defenders of the squad are not much better. Perhaps they are not even better. Hired players did not respond, there were unfortunate injuries and technical work interrupted in the middle of the season. Mikel Arteta has been showing good signs, but in his first job as head coach, it is still impossible to know if he is the right guy.
But David Luiz has been collecting some uncomfortable deeds. Even with the rule that makes it difficult to triple punishment in penalty kicks, he managed to be expelled by committing a foul inside the area twice in the same season. He conceded two maximum penalties in his first four games for Arsenal and four in total throughout this Premier League edition – equaling records. And in big games.
There is something in common between the penalties that Luiz committed against Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City: in all the opponent was in front of him and he tried some desperate action to avoid the goal (against the Blues, it was more justified because he was in a precarious situation after a bad Mustafi retreat). A microcosm, in due proportion, of the worst game of his life, the one against Germany, when it was possible to find him anywhere but in defense because, as the goals came out, he forgot that his mission was to avoid them. them and don’t try to mark them on the other side of the lawn.
Tactical journalist Michael Cox wrote a good review for The Athletic on some of the reasons that lead David Luiz to these disastrous performances. Basically, he gets good returns when he acts in a protected defense – like, not coincidentally, those of Roberto Di Matteo in the European title or Antonio Conte -, but he has serious problems when he needs to leave his position to hunt for attackers in the middle or in sides of the area.
Luiz, I think this has already been made clear to everyone, it is stagnant and has an unbalanced need to show service all the time, which often turns into impetuous actions. As he gets older, the tendency is for the problem to get worse because the natural thing would be to arrive more and more late in the tackle and nothing indicates, neither history nor personality, that he can adapt to a new way of playing. It is not a question of admitting mistakes. He did so with great humility after the game against Manchester City. It is to learn from them.
These points form a paradox. The most praised qualities in David Luiz are his good pass, which leads many to consider that he would be better as a midfielder, because his mistakes would not be so fatal, and the ability to communicate in the field with colleagues. These were the justifications given by Arsenal’s technical director, Edu Gaspar, in the renewal announcement. This would make it perfect for a team that seeks to play with possession like Mikel Arteta.
On the other hand, this same style of play, for simple mathematical probability, exposes the teams to more counterattacks. The scorers need to be fast, have a good time on the ball and be able to keep up with their opponents’ runs. They need to be good at chasing, but it was clear this season that, in this situation, David Luiz’s favorite feature is to pull the shirt of whoever is in front of him.
Football is too complex a game to make a direct link between the mistakes of a single player and the results of a team. Arsenal would probably lose to Liverpool in another way, were it not for the penalty in Salah and then the ease with which it allowed the Egyptian to take off. He would probably lose Manchester City in another way, although having conceded two goals and the numerical advantage in such a short period of time has made Pep Guardiola’s job a lot easier.
Mustafi’s mistake would put Chelsea at an advantage anyway, but Arsenal wouldn’t have had to play more than an hour with one player unless Luiz had simply allowed Tammy Abraham to open the scoring. The Gunners still managed to tie that game and it would not be absurd to imagine that they would have a good chance of winning without the numerical inferiority. There is less consideration to be made in the Watford game because Arsenal won 2-1 and ten minutes to go when Roberto Pereyra was knocked down by the Brazilian at the edge of the area.
And those are just the penalties, the most scandalous moves in which David Luiz proved to be a weak point. It is difficult to calculate exactly how many points the apparent bargain ended up costing Arsenal. But maybe that difference from ten to fourth place would be smaller and maybe, at this point, there were more real hopes of playing in the Champions League next season.
That’s quite an essay JM and I think it explains a lot about Luiz and his effectiveness.
On being asked if Xhaka could regain the Arsenal Captaincy, Arteta said “Hopefully I have 24 captains who can take leadership wherever they like” Wenger had 4 captains, Emery had 5 and now Arteta has again raised the stakes.
What we need is one Captain who can command the respect of the rest of the squad. The football pitch is not the place for committee meetings.
Morning Cicero, all.
Jm. Interestingly, Michael Cox is I think, the same guy who does the tactical analysis for Arsenal.com
Perhaps that’s who Ornstein gets his info from. Just a thought.
New post up now