Morning all.
Arsenal have sorted out a couple of departures. Emile Smith Rowe has gone to Huddersfield and Tyreece John-Jules to Lincoln City on loan until the end of the season. The club are yet to decide what’s next for Eddie Nketiah as Mikel Arteta is undecided on whether he might need him.
Loans can be great for younger players but only if they’re given playing time. I totally understand if after a few games it’s not worked out but there’s no point swapping the Arsenal bench for another clubs. The most successful loan we’ve seen for an Arsenal player recently has to be Emile Martinez at Reading as he played every game and was key to their Championship survival. Now we’re benefiting from his time away as proved against Leeds. Should Bernd Leno suffer and injury, Martinez is a more than capable replacement. The battle between the two for the number one shirt could be an interesting one to watch.
As could the future of Granit Xhaka, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Lucas Torreira, our December player of the month. All three have been linked with a move away from the club because they wanted out. Two months later, their miserable looking expressions have turned to smiles, their performances are much improved and it looks like they might be staying after all. Mikel Arteta certainly hopes so, or so it says on the club’s official website. For Mustafi though, having not featured against Leeds despite being short in defence, perhaps there’s a chance he’ll be sold and replaced this month. 🤞
It’s game day again with lunchtime kickoff against one of those awkward kind of clubs. They sit one place above us in the league and have recently, caused us one or two problems. Mostly of our making I hasten to add. After the nonchalant approach to our FA Cup match against Leeds, I’d imagine a few more stern words have been delivered by Mikel Arteta towards the players. No opposition should be taken lightly, not in any competition, not if we’re to keep improving. After all, improvement isn’t restricted to just the level of football we play.
Just the three on the injury list now which is a huge boost. Bellerin continues to be a doubt whilst Tierney and Chambers continue their recovery after surgery. Just a few weeks ago we looked in dire straits injury wise but now, other than at right back, we’re ok. Until the defensive injury that is and Europa League returns.
Crystal Palace captain Luka Milivojevic is suspended for this one, they have a number of injured too with Joel Ward, Scott Dann, Victor Camarasa, Mamadou Sakho, Patrick Van Aanholt, Jeffrey Schlupp, Andros Townsend and Christian Benteke all ruled out.
Wilfried Zaha, Jairo Riedewald and Max Meyer all return to the squad. Their new loan signing Cenk Tosun could join them.
New signings often give clubs a bit of a boost but for all the jokes we’ve made over the years about players returning from injury being like a new signing, the arrival of Mikel Arteta has made Arsenal look like a team/squad full of new signings. Which is probably a good thing because from what Mikel Arteta has said, there won’t be many, if any this month. Right now it’s about who we have and how much the Spaniard can get out of them and the signs so far would suggest that’s quite a lot. Certainly a lot more than his predecessor managed and I don’t mean Freddie.
After today’s game the players have an entire week of rest and recuperation. Training yes but no competitive football.
Arsenal have only won two away matches this season. The opening fixture against Newcastle and at West Ham last month thanks to nine minutes of magical madness. Mikel Arteta has improved us at home, now he and his players need to do it away because after next weekend, we have three on the trot.
Catch you in the comments guys.
Good morning Rico and all,
I’ve taken the liberty of posting an article by that totally un-biased sports hack Jaime Carragher, published in this morning’s Telegraph.
“I must admit my scepticism when Mikel Arteta was touted for big Premier League jobs over the past few years.
It struck me as odd so many were championing him as a future coach of a club like Arsenal given his limited experience. Reading and hearing about this dynamic, inspirational character from Arsene Wenger’s dressing room made me wonder if that said more about the lack of personality at the Emirates during that era than Arteta’s qualities.
I do not say this to be disrespectful or unnecessarily negative, just to be honest about my perceptions of Arteta as a footballer.
I did not know Arteta other than as an opponent, but if you had told me during our battles in Merseyside derbies when Arteta was an Everton player that he be would be managing Arsenal at the age of 37 I would have thought you were joking. I just did not see it.
When we lined up against that Everton side, we never felt Arteta was their leader. You would see characters such as Phil Jagielka, Tim Cahill, Tim Howard and Phil Neville and imagine them to be far more vocal and influential on the training ground.
Arteta, in my mind, was a tidy, technically gifted creative midfielder at Goodison Park, getting the most from his ability and performing at the level he should be. When he moved to Arsenal, I thought it was more to do with him becoming available for a reasonable fee than a grand transfer gesture.
While a technically gifted creative midfielder at Everton, he did not strike me as one of the main leaders of the team. Upon moving to North London, he was transformed into the midfield anchor for Wenger. His switch to the Emirates, the position he was used in, and the responsibilities he was given – going on to be captain – always seemed to me to be a symbol of how much standards had dropped since the days Patrick Vieira was running the Arsenal midfield.
Again, if you had asked six or seven years ago who was the most likely of Wenger’s students to move into the Arsenal dug-out, how many would have said Arteta ahead of Vieira?
The clamour from Arsenal supporters for Arteta’s return shows they saw something in Arteta the player that I missed.
In the early days of his reign, it is pleasing to see why so many believed in him. I have been impressed by Arteta’s impact.
A radical change is needed at Arsenal and the most important feature of Arteta’s first few weeks is that he has identified as much, spoken publicly about it, and backed his words with actions. His communication is extremely impressive, as is his demeanour and the sense he has a clear vision which he will stick to. He is already getting more from his players than Unai Emery was able to during this season, while his ability to engage with supporters through the media is a major distinction from his predecessor.
What is most encouraging is how the work on the training pitch is so visible on a matchday, even after relatively few sessions. Against Leeds United on Monday his ability to change the game at half-time was especially promising and rewarding.
Arsenal are more compact, playing higher up the pitch and running more with the most technically gifted attacking trio of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Mesut Ozil – players not previously renowned for their pressing abilities – in the same line-up.
The Pep Guardiola influence is evident, Arteta’s debt to his mentor obvious. He has been entrusted with the Arsenal job on the understanding that he will apply many of the same methods, style and get the same work rate from his players.
Because he worked so closely alongside Pep, those players will believe in those methods.
Yet when you look at Arsenal, not just this season but over those last few years under Wenger, there are broader problems that must be addressed which will tell us more about whether Arteta is the manager the club needs at this point in its history.
In the immediate aftermath of Arteta’s first win – at home to Manchester United – there was a reminder of the challenges ahead via the interview given by defenders David Luiz and Sokratis.
It was lauded by some for exposing the problems under the previous manager.
“The fun is back,” said Sokratis, the clear implication being the players did not enjoy playing for Emery.
Luiz suggested there was a physicality issue in the squad and also said this: “It is beautiful to see how the kids start to understand the commitment and the behaviour they have to do to achieve big things in life and in football.”
I was shaking my head watching these comments being made.
The kids, David?
It is the performance of senior players like Sokratis and Luiz that has been killing Arsenal, not the youngsters. The side has suffered from what I call ‘the Arsenal disease’ where defenders continued to retreat and invite pressure.
Even against Chelsea, when Arsenal deserved to win, it was a failure of defenders to push up – in direct contravention to what Arteta wanted – that led to Tammy Abraham’s late winning goal. Even if Sokratis and Luiz were not necessarily culpable on that occasion, they have been part of the broader problem and such ill-judged attempts by senior players to divert blame for the failings of the Emery reign and latter years under Wenger is laughable. That is what Arteta must weed out.
Arsenal in 2020 remind me of Liverpool before Gerard Houllier took over in 1998 – mentally weak and lacking discipline, with too many senior players stuck in bad habits and absolving themselves from all responsibility for successive regime failures.
For a long time under Wenger they could dazzle you with beautiful football, only for their brittleness to predictably return when it really mattered, especially against the most physically demanding opponents.
Arteta’s recognising the need for a cultural change is as important as the tactical knowledge he brings. Arsenal fans must be as encouraged by the forthright language he has used and that determined look in his eye when talking about what needs to be done.
I am not sure how much the cracked whip approach works in football management nowadays – coaches must be more subtle and get the best from what they have before replacing those who infect the dressing room.
There is not much he can do to reshape the squad in mid-season, but I will be shocked if Arsenal’s back four does not have different personnel at the start of next year. Arteta will be looking forward to getting a close look at William Saliba, the highly-rated 18-year-old centre-back on loan at St Etienne. He will want another top class defender. I do not expect Soktratis and Luiz to be symbols of the Arteta era because of their age and their unsuitability to his style. They currently represent why Arsenal got into the mess they did.
When Arteta played for Arsenal, they were a skilful but timid side. The team he took over had allowed the timidity to overshadow any of the skill it possessed.
Nine years after first joining as a player, Arteta may finally bring the combination of silk and steel Arsenal have lacked for too long”
My apologies if this is too long Rico. By all means delete it if you feel the need.
Morning Cicero, I’ve just read it.
For once, I found what Carragher said to be interesting but not anything new really. Most here have been saying the same things for years.
Re Arteta, I’m sure he learned a lot from Guardiola but I think the man deserves credit himself too because something’s simply can’t be taught or learned imo.
Cicero, I read every word of it and it was fantastic.
Morning Rico and all.
I think Mustafi is time if we can get even half reasonable money for him, Rico.
I haven’t read it yet Cicero, but I will shortly.
Morning all.
Quietly confident of getting a result today. I wouldn’t have said that a month ago, that’s for sure!
Let’s sit back and enjoy(?) the ride😊
COYGs
Morning Scott, Wavy.
I know Arteta will have benefitted enormously from Pep re tactics etc, but I still maintain you can’t teach personality or the way to talk to players etc. For those qualities, Arteta needs praising in his own right imo.
Joe Cole must have read my comment, he’s just said the same. 😜
Done my homework now! Read it all………!
Going back to his arrival, when Sky announced at about 23.50 on the final day of the transfer window that the arsenal had signed Arteta and the BFG I sat back in my comfy arm chair and muttered, “that’s more like it, we’ve got a chance now.” Just a reminder, the previous Saturday we’d lost 8-2 to manure and looked a totally spent force. We finished 4th that year. Without Arteta in particular and the BFG I’m not sure that would have been posssible.
Both are now doing their coaching thing at the club. Let’s just hope they are as successful as old mother Wenger was. And just a reminder to the dipper Carah, the best players do not usually make the best coaches, perhaps for them football came so easily so they don’t believe they have to strive quite so hard as the slightly less able (footballers that is).
Perhaps Arteta is that ‘perfect fit’ whereas Vieira may not ever be!
Have a good watch one and all. Here’s hoping!
Carragher knows all there is to know about playing and coaching, at least that’s the impression he strives to put over, but unlike Gary Neville he just hasn’t shown the guts to go and try his hand in the dugout. I wonder why that is.
Crikey! the match has started, I’m off to watch it. Laters.
Very promising start, Palace according to radio are playing a 4 5 1, hoping to suck us in so Zaha can run in behind, 0-1 Aubameyang, let’s see how we progress from this situation, we’ve not been here very often in the last 3 years.
Afternoon rico, all. Great goal, but systematic fouling of Torriera as usual.
Afternoon Andrew, they are certain giving Torreira some rough treatment.
Typical PGMOL, our players get fouled, referee does nowt, our players react, our players get booked.
Listening to Talk Shite, hopeless commentator, hopeless analysis, hopeless radio station.
We never know which Arsenal are going to turn up.. slow start and a great second half, good start and slacken off after the break or, like today, very good first twenty minutes and then let Palace take the game over.
A word or two by Arteta is called for.
Don’t a great job, Torriera, so good in fact Palace have kicked him out of the game, subbed for the hairy one.
We need a second goal and soon.
Not surprised Torreira hasn’t appeared for the second half..
Why do refs allow it, could see from 2nd tackle on him, he was targeted.
Bollox!
VAR will upgrade that to red I’m sure…
Deflected goal, now we hit the post. Not our day.
We showed a bit of fight when down to 10 and could easily have pinched it.
Arbitrage is biased and helps build the end result. CP made dozens of fouls in the 1st half, some concurrently, a third was scored, and zero yellow cards; In the second half, with the Arsenal players tired and with the marks on the legs, it remains the same, under the referee’s beneficence. The first card reaches 70 minutes, with Arsenal with 2 yellow cards; The sent off is correct except that with a free referee, one or two CP players had gone, before or until the end of the game also been sent off.
And what’s curious is that at the end of the game, Arsenal had one player sent off, more yellow cards and twice the fouls.
Moral: If someone want to play football, he can’t, they don’t let you play, and the referee still helps to keep football out.
Initially I was very disappointed, it looked like two steps forward and one back. But on reflection I think we did well despite the referee.
How Ayew avoided a yellow card for persistent fouling I do not know, nor why Saha wasn’t booked for diving in the penalty box. I don’t think there can be any argument about the red card for Aubameyang, the tackle was reckless to say the least.
The loss of Torreira was significant, Guendouzi did his best but is not yet at our terrier’s level.
The deflection for the equaliser apart, Luiz had a good game until the whole team seemed to drop to a lower physical level. Another decent performance from Xhaka, evidence of his new found form under Arteta.
That was probably a game we would have lost under Emery, or even under Wenger in his last couple of seasons.
Still a lot of work to be done on the training ground but there are positive signs throughout the team.
A bad day all round for us and further proof of how far we have to go.
Cicero. Completely agree about Ayew. Ridiculous referee.
Yep, a long way to go but as has already been said, down to ten, we would have probably lost this one last season..
I really don’t know how these referees sleep at night.
It all changed , when Torriera played the ball instead of giving it back from the bounce up . At that point Palace woke up , got physical and targetted Torriera who went off at half time .
From then on we lost the mjidfield and eventually two points.
The VAR interception for Aubameyang was fair enough but why was it not employed to look at the Tomkins tackle ? could it be that the VAR ref was our old friend Pawson whose decision to not show Jorginho a second yellow card against Chelsea saw him reprimanded , is now on the “”we hate Arsenal list “” According to the commentary it was .
However another game and another point , a good performance when down to 10 but potentially losing Auba and Torriera causes yet more problems.
How does Robertson not get sent off if Aubameyang’s challenge is deemed a red card…
The only difference is that Robertson plays for Liverpool…. 🤔🤔🤔
The whole problem with VAR is it’s use for judgment calls. In almost all cases the on-field official”s decision is reversed by the anonymous individual in Stokely Park. Queries, other than for line calls, should be decided by the referee by reference to the pitch side monitor.
Today’s stats, Arsenal:- possession 58%. Shots 7. On target 4. Corners 4. Fouls 21. Cards yellow 3. Red 1.
Palace:- Possession 42%. Shots 6. On target 3. Corners 1. Fouls 14. Cards yellow 2.
I think these stats show that we are a lot more determined and not willing to be bullied. Certain players need to be a bit more careful when challenging for the ball.
The shots allowed are much better than of late.
Green shoots poking their heads through the surface?
Just saw the Liverpool players challenge.
The entire League is a bloody joke if that’s no straight red.
The PGMOL is a joke, not the league.
VAR isn’t the problem, the problem is the PGMOL…
Hi Scott good to arsenal fight when down to 10 before we would have give up must admit the referee had me confused we yellow cards for tackle yet they do the same and get nothing.
Hi Rico in regards to the goalkeepers I think they are very close at the start of the season I would have picked Martinez as Leno could be a bit inconsistent or unsure what to do but he has made good progress this year now I think he is just ahead of Martinez but happy with both.
Morning all and Rico. How’s the Sunday roast coming along???
Just a passing thought. With Auba’s dismissal yesterday and the inevitable 3 match ban, does that mean Eddie will not be let out again and sent on loan or will they ensure he goes and gets some proper playing time. The Orient could do with his silky skills just now!
Wavy, keep Nketiah until Auba comes back and then let him go out on loan, there will still be time. Who knows he may just seize the chance of a game or two in order to convince Arteta that he should remain at Arsenal.
Morning Wavy, Geoff, Cicero, all.
Lunch? I’ve only just had breakfast… 😂
New post up now…