Morning guys and gals.
Watching this Arsenal team play like they did yesterday raises more questions than it does answers.
Where the heck has that kind of performance been hiding?
How did Wenger manage to get the boys up for an away game?
Why has Mesut Ozil not been playing like that for the last eighteen months?
Why does a big German defender still turn his back on a shot?
Why was Lacazette substituted yet again?
Why did one of the the Everton coaches nearly fall arse over head in the dugout?
Why did Arsene not do the zip up on his coat after putting it on?
Seriously, that performance yesterday was much better, perhaps the best we’ve seen so far this season. Ozil, Lacazette and Sanchez looked like a threesome, which if stayed together beyond this season, could form a really potent strike force. Throw Griezmann in there too and boy, we’d be good, certainly going forward. Sadly though it looks like no sooner has something looks like it could be successful, it’s about to be dissolved as Ozil and Sanchez seem keen to move onto pastures new.
Don’t get me wrong, one super duper display form Mesut doesn’t change my view on him but if he does the same at The Etihad and many other grounds over the next few weeks and months , then maybe I’ll have a rethink. He’s a great player but he can’t pick and choose when he turns up. Out of interest though, was yesterday the first time he, Alexis and Lacazette have started a game together?
Everton have been poor so far this season and they were again yesterday but the way we started the game was so much better. Pace, the ball was being pinged about with ease and it was pleasing to watch. We should have been at least a couple of goals up before Xhaka lost the ball and Rooney scored. Not the best of passes out of defence by Merts but Xhaka might have done better. Foul or no foul will be the debate on that one. Watching Merts turn his back on the shot again irks to say the least. As does the lack of quality of the crosses Bellerin provides. I lost count of how many times Ramsey, Alexis or another player was free in the box when a ball from the young Spaniard was gathered up by Pickford.
I expected Everton to kick from there and us to collapse but no such thing which made a pleasant change. Facing City next weekend off the back of another loss wouldn’t have been good.
Instead we watched on as Ozil, Alexis and Lacazette ripped Everton to pieces after Nacho Monreal had grabbed the equaliser. I liked seeing a bit of attitude from him after being shoved over the hoardings and into the fans. A dangerous incident which Pawson let go unpunished. I thought he left a few tasty tackles go by yesterday, especially from Williams, much to our players anger.
There was some sloppy stuff from us on show again. Both goals conceded shouldn’t have been, especially the latter and we should have scored more goals. How Ramsey missed one of his chances I don’t know. Acres of space and plenty of time but somehow, when it looked easier to score than miss, he blasted high. But he did get one before the game ended after Wilshere played him in with a lovely pass.
The misses didn’t cost us yesterday and at least we scored five but to be honest, that was nothing less than Everton deserved. Just as Idrissa Gueye deserved to be sent off. Despite that though, I wouldn’t mind him in our midfield.
All in all, an entertaining game and for once it was nice to see that is was our boys doing the entertaining. Just hope we don’t have to wait a long time until those words can be written again but with this team under Wenger, it probably will.
Norwich next for us in the League Cup and that’s tomorrow evening of course. It’ll be a totally different group of players to what we saw yesterday but even so, we should be strong enough to get past Delia and her boys…..
Have a good Monday guys. Monday’s are always better after an Arsenal victory, certainly when it was quite pleasing on the eye…
Good Morning Rico !!
Where the heck has that kind of performance been hiding?
The team rested well i guess and were very fresh.Rotation or the Europa league favour as i guess.
How did Wenger manage to get the boys up for an away game?
Last time around when they come down from one nil down and beat us by two goals Arsene team was jaded and fatigue was obvious reason for loosing that game.
Koeman applied physical based tactics and not much else always.Yesterday no difference at all.You can see from the get go other than to rough up our players the likes of Idrissa and the Wales defender has no other instruction from the Koeman.
I believe the team rested properly and in fairness Everton they are where they are for being crap.
Hold your breath is just Everton.
Xaka is an absolute liability foul or no foul his awareness is slow.I believe he understands well that in premier League there is no time with ball ……but ……..he do not have anything else in the locker.Dribbling and passing players is Essential in Midfield and he do not have it .For me he has to go is a complete liability.
When Willshere comes into that midfield even though not much but one can sense that something was aback and start getting forward.
Ozil……….
From the Ludocrate game to Everton ……how many body present and football absent games ?………….LOL……..
Sorry it is his life story even when at Madrid.People try to excuse him by saying is the first time paired among Laca and Sanchez.That is bullshit for me….as he was paired with better players at Madrid and was same attitude.Everton was just rubbish.
Morning Alex. I see you are feeling joyous again this morning…. lol
We have a list of conundrums Ozil,Wilshere,Walcott,Xhaka, Coqelin, all good players that get so far and then stall in their development. Is it motivation ,? it’s not ability Is it organisation ? Is it desire ? Is it coaching ?
Who sang that there’s more questions than answers.?
I only know the answer to one, Johnny Nash….
Measured Joy …must say.
How about you ?
Quite pleased to see a good performance but that’s about it. Nothing changes though…
Morning all on a Johnny Nash Monday…………
🙂
Thank`s Rico……Alex`s blaspheming should be edited ! hahaha
Xhaka another one getting some bad press, he hit the wood work and was well involved in our 1st goal and assisted a sending off ! hahaha
One gripe from me from the game………Cech………. just kick the fcuking thing into touch, you`re a goalie not a midfield maestro !
And yes Rico, if you read my comments you would have some inkling that that was the first appearance of The Holy Trinity, Dennis I`ve been on about it since we bought Lacazette………..it`s only taken the 9th game in !……………had we had them from the start I have no doubt we would have a few points more………amen !
Cant wait for the Mansour City game if we have our full team available ………..then Arsene will teach Pep a few thing`s !……………like a record EPL away win !………hahaha
Little under the radar, but the U23`s play Tiny Tottspuds away at 12:00 today!
I do read your comments Lc but after a nights sleep, my memory leaves me…. ?
Xhaka was unlucky not to score, that was a cracking shot which nearly broke the crossbar…
Looking at this line up it`s safe to say a few of the normal U23`s will feature against Norwich on Tueday !……….No McGuane, Nketiah, Nelson, Maitland-Niles, Willock !.others ?
#AFCU23 team to face @SpursOfficial: Virginia, Moore, Bola, Pleguezuelo, Olowu, Medley, Eyoma, Gilmour, Balogun, Dragomir, John-Jules
Very good perverted romance. But livid at pushing over hoardings, wasn’t it Stoke that pushed Debuchy over and it started his downfall?
Wow, thanks iPhone! *good performance!
On The Messiah ………sorry………Mesut thing…………………..he is having his best start to a season in actually setting up chances per minute for team mates, not bettered by any Pep player and that with him not being 100% fit (untill yesterday)……………………a fit Mesut makes a difference !…………it`s not his fault if any player misses the chance !………………………………………….I mainly see our problem with our defense, but then so does everyone else …………………apart from Wenger !
Hahaha Andrew…..I much preferred the first version…….I thought you were talking about Lee and Arsene ! hahaha
Believe so Andrew, he should have been booked..
Andrew, loved the way you started your original post, I thought ‘this is different, quite artistic from Andrew’, and then you have to spoil it by admitting that it was a typo.
How disappointing…. ?
Morning All,
Morning Rico, good post, but it’ll be quiet on here today as we won.
Ok Ozil was superb, but one swallow doesn’t make a summer, he needs to be doing this on a regular basis if he wants his next big financially beneficial transfer.
Because despite the denials, he ain’t staying at Arsenal.
Looking forward to seeing Maitland-Niles and Willock tomorrow.
Morning Kev, thanks and yes, it’ll be quiet. Funny really.
Spot on re Ozil. Let’s see what he’s like at The Etihad when the team will need to dig in…
Haha, was more interesting first time! Glad to see Jack finally get on the field in a Prem game. Shame he didn’t get on week before, who knows, might have been a different ending. We didn’t have to play three at the back after an injury, at the end v Watford.
Well, the trio could have played at Liverpool, but Wenger instead chose to bring on some fuddled arrangements having Ox and Bellerin as WB and all sorts of meddling.
After noon Rico and all.
Ozil a conundrum mixed up with a world class footballer!
Everton were, by all accounts piss poor. Arsenal can always turn on the style when the opposition stand off them. Where was the toffees intensity? Pressing? Tackles(successful)? From what I’ve read and the brief highlights on the BBC our boys could do nothing more than exploit the pathetic team they faced yesterday. And so they shouldn’t have.
I doubt Wenger had much in the way of input or tactical master plan prior to the game. His only advice probably, was go and score more goals than them. Enough said!
Citeh is a better yardstick to measure any improvement or shall we see the consolidation of more crab football with no forward progress.
More questions than answers, as someone once said!
Dull here. I’m waiting for it to rain. I’m full of anticipation!
I agree Wavy. 5th of November against City at the Etihad stadium is the next big test.
Neymar is finding France quite interesting though.
Tram selection at Anfield was certainly odd Iari3.. look how easy the Totts blew the, away yesterday..
Afternoon Wavy.
Everton were poor but to be honest, a lot of that yesterday was because of how we started imo, and then again, how we responded after going 1-0 down. Going forward we looked good, very good at times. But defensively we still have issues which I strongly suspect City will exploit…
Granted they were poor , but in the end we scored 5 and really should not have let them get any. How long have we complained about not running up cricket scores.
For me the question is whether the team rest on their laurels after this or try to fathom out why they don’t do it more often . After all the abilty to do it is there.
Agree, neither goal should have been conceded but it’s what we do.
When you see how we played yesterday it proves the problem isn’t with the players. It’s down to how they are prepared for the game. I think so anyway..
Koeman sacked…
Hate to be the one that put the boot in but it probably was the final straw..
You can’t doubt the ability but We still don’t have the smack it in the net mentality. We still want to bend it into the corners. How often do you hear “he opened up and tried to bend it into the corner
.Malcolm McDonald tried to burst a hole in the net.
Defensively our midfield is still unbalanced and there is not enough protection especially when the full backs are caught forward . I am getting more concerned that we are doing with Cech what we did with Seaman and playing him on reputation.
Afternoon Rico and All
Not sure if that reflected how good we
are or how bad the toffees were.
1-1 11v11 the toffees looked 50% for me.
Prehaps my reasoning has gone with this lot,
but I find it hard to get behind the team.
You just know somewhere along the line,
the bottle and glass not to mention the
albert halls will come into play and will
see once again what we already know.
Rico,more about how bad Everton are .Everyone is beating them and again we played against 10 men for some of the game .However this did not stop them from scoring . Nothing about this result changes the Watford one .That was not a one off but a familiar scenario that we have witnessed for donkeys years.
I second to Jeff Wrights opinion…….
people get carried to easy………. no wonder has blind supporter Le Prof.
Koeman Sacked ………i think is a good riddance .He do not bring or add to the league.He was bullying Wenger jaded team….that’s all i will remember of him
Koeman anyone ?………………..I liked him in the past and he was one of my choices to replace Arsene and still is !…………….I think Everton have made a mistake.
Lukaku was a big miss for him and hard to replace, just wait and see how hard it will be for Wenger to replace Alexis and Ozil……………nigh impossible !…………………and all his own fault !.
He shoulda tried harder to sign Ollie if that’s the case LC, no sympathy here, 7 goals in 9 games, not a great return.
rico, why does a big German defender still turn his back on a shot, I can answer that one, it’s a bad habit he picked up from Kozzer.
Great to see that we have put the final nail in the Koeman coffin. Was a nasty player who produces nasty teams! Talking of which, Ashley Williams has turned into a real nasty piece of work, from his pre-match comments, trying to get Hector sent-off, to his spiteful assault on Sanchez! So glad we won’t be seeing his sorry ass in next years World Cup. Just a shame that it took an even more rancid individual in James MacLean to do the deed!
Personally I don’t give a toss about the world cup . I would be happy to see him out of the league, chances are now that a fresh face will give him survival.
Rather a lot of hype was put about after the 0-0 away to Chelsea but it is self evident that Conte’s crew are not in the form that they were last season .So the 0-0 was not really such a big deal .City’s one nil win looks better and it’s these one in five games that the top six play against one another that in the final analysis will decide who wins the Prem and the three runner up places. Our defending against a poor Everton side was nothing to get excited about we won’t get away with conceding two goals while scoring five against top six sides and that is still the problem . This dodgy defending shows why Wenger’s record over the past few seasons against the top teams in the Prem and virtually any side in Europe – once the first KO round is played – is so shockingly bad. Mertesacker and the hapless Kos should have been off-loaded at least two years ago . Kos was never better than a Sunday Pub League side player anyway.
Hello posters.
Just had a quick read through the comments today. We had a good win, not just the result yesterday.
Does anyone EVER give Wenger any credit at all when we play well and win? Or is it ALWAYS just a case of ‘the players did it without him’ and ‘he didn’t have any input at all tactically’?
Surely credit where its due? I hate to think if we had lost yesterday, just how vitriolic the posts would have been toward him.
It would definitely have been his fault if we lost, yet not so much when we win apparently.
My only gripe is that he has signed some crap players, and not signed some of the exceptional ones. They are all down to him.
No, not my only gripe. The other one is our bad luck to have Kroenke as an owner. The two are inexorably linked.
The club have him for another season after this one, so time surely to accept that.
Either that, or keep moaning for the next 18 months when we win AND when we lose.
I see hosay had another dig at Wenger, when he said no way would he stay at a club for seventeen seasons. Still jealous, after all this time! Amazing.
“Kos was never better than a Sunday Pub League side player anyway.”……………you make some fair points normally, Jeff, but that one tells me you are as daft as the rest of us…………………….which is a good thing, dont want anyone too clever on here !
😆
Damn, M`kat !!!…………………….just for a few hours I had forgot about the bastard aka Kroenke !………..thanks for reminding me that imo our future under the bastard is futile ! hahaha
For me I think it’s over the last 10 years
rather than the last 10 weeks..but thats
my experience of Arsene,once a liar is
found out,it’s hard to believe anythink
he says or does.
On reflection le coq I may have insulted Sunday Pub team players by comparing Kos with them ! I was only jesting old chap anyway although many a true word said and all that wot… I don’t believe that Kos who played in every record busting worst defeat for AFC under old Clueless in the Prem and in Europe is really as good as some have claimed. Not being able to head a football properly is not a great asset for a CB .His main forte is or was making desperation last ditch tackles usually due to him being out of position to begin with. . Kos who looks like the Road Runner after a rough night out is no top defender though overall and has been exposed time and again for donkeys years in the Prem in Europe and in International games as being second rate .It was Kos who got turned inside out by an ex-Swansea striker who never scored a goal for them in the Euro Final , France v Portugal in Paris last year that cost the French the chance to win it at home . Actually I looked that incident up on youtube just now and guess wha le coq. Kos was made to look like a Sunday Pub League player by the VERY AVERAGE Portugeezer player. You could’t make it up.
Few on here jeff think his world class.
Not me by the way.
Thanks for the reply, Jeff………
🙂
Although it`s Monday, it sounds like you`ve been down the Pub since Sunday !……………imo, Kos is our best defender by a long shot………..of whisky ?……………….yeah we have had better defences, but I cant blame it all on just one player, it`s our lack of Wengfer defensive plan and tactics which is the bigger problem and has been for years !…………………….back to the game, dont you think Cech`s defending was worse ?………………..not sure why he was trying to be the new Beckenbaur as he`s a goalie !………………he did have a good practice run in the 1st half.practice makes perfect and had a great assist for their second goal !.
🙂
Question ?………………………….who was more at fault for their second ?………….Monreal or Cech ?……………..personally I thought Cech could have easily got some leather on the ball and knocked it into the stands !…………………great goalie but Sunday Pub level footballer !
🙂
le coq, in the land of the blind and all that regarding Kos being our best defender… Kos’s protracted signing from a lower French league club gave Wenger an excuse to hang about in Paris indulging in some extra curricular activities with a younger than himself waitress.That affair cost him his marriage but again showed that Wenger is not the dedicated follower of football that was once claimed that he were. It might help to understand some of his French signings though with him having his mind on other things apart from French TV work and sponsorship deals .Sanago for instance surely he can’t been have concentrating on his job properly signing him .
Arsene and extra activities in Paris !!!……………..dont say that Jeff, I`m trying to dislike the fella, dont make him a hero ! hahaha
Ahh……..Sanogo !………………..Jar Jar Binks on drugs and on ice !………………must have had some incriminating evidence about Arsene in Paris ! 🙂
Afternoon Fred and all.
Jeff, I just want to give credit where it’s due. I enjoyed most of our football yesterday and imo, that was down to the way we started the game. I’m not for one minute suggesting much has changed, in fact nothing has other than we won well away from home.
Micko, you make a good point re Merts. I bet he didn’t turn his back when playing in a Germany kit.
Fred, me neither re Kos, he’s such a lightweight. Bring back Sol Campbell…
Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar, Kozzer all world class lol.
You forgot Ramsey Micko..
No problem Rico I can’t get excited about anything where Wenger is concerned .I thought it was just another flat track bullies display against struggling oppo of the sort that we have become so familiar with in recent years. We scored some good goals – albeit the style of the football looks 10 years dated and if this works against top sides is another matter.Some of our defending was Keystone Cops type though and that certainly does not augur well for when we face the top teams…. le coq Sanogo was a postman in his day job so who knows there might be something to your theory otherwise it leaves hanging the question of… is Wenger just incompetent ..surely not !
Jeff, trust me, I share your views on the state of things at the club. Perhaps I went into shock after seeing Ozil play like he was enjoying himself.
Perhaps he will between now and January..
I wish our board would react as quick as Everton though….
More Kozzer doubters ???……………do I have to get the blaspheming stick out again ? hahaha
I only saw the highlights of the game ( the highlights on Arsenal player always shows more than MOTD ) and the only “Keystone Cops” incidents I saw involved Franz BeckenCech !……………..bit slow isn`t he !…………………mind you as much as Pickford kept the score low anyone else think he`s carrying a bit of timber ?…………….looked like he`d been down the Pub on Sunday with Jeff ! hahaha
Wenger is not incompetant…………….he`s just misunderstood !…………………I have no idea or understand some of his decissions !……………………..although if we beat Norwich tomorrow with a Carabao Cup record score that I predict…………I shall praise him for beating one of our main rivals from Norfolk ……………….I like it when he pits his intelligence against top opponents.
I`m making an Apple pie…………….experment really as I`ve stuck a load of caramel on top and hope it turns to toffee !……………..only doing it as my son brought in a load of Bramleys from a landscaping job !
You`re the cook Rico, will the caramel turn to toffee ?………………………
Rico, there is something going on behind the scenes regarding Ozil who I suspect as just woke up ,well he often looks rather dozy, to the fact that a glut of top clubs are not falling over one another to sign him. In his case, against that of the glum faced Chilean, letting his contract run down looks to have been a mistake. As I said before I can see him ending up in Turkey with RVP . At least that ‘gunner for life’ did actually go to United and won a league title there. I can’t see that happening to Ozil though. Everton were so bad on Sunday that even he looked energetic by comparison.
Jeff, but we know Wenger will save him by offering a big contract.
If no one wants Ozil and we hear by him
no ones offered him a new contract at
The Arsenal,He might end up a Postman,
come June.
Lc, I doubt it… but I’m no cook, honest. I just mess around with ingredients…
Rico ,Wenger does have history for doing it.I wondering though if he still has the same powers that he once held.
I reckon so Jeff, he’s such a control freak.
Catch up tomorrow guys – night all..
Seriously, some of the comments I’ve read here are hilarious.
Talk about hunting in packs-someone insults a player and the rest jump on the dead carcass.
I see defenders turn their back on shots in EVERY game I watch, and to say Merts learnt from Kozzer?
That’ll do me.
After a top performance, all some of you can do is bitch and criticise.
No, none of us should suddenly forget all the troubles at the club, but why can’t you even enjoy the result for a day or so?????
That’s Arsenal fans for you.
Giroud wins the Puskas award.
Brilliant achievement!!!!
Scott. Do you not realise that people on here have a mind of their own? To suggest what you have done is wrong in so many ways!
Merts did turn his back, Koscielny does too and if you think people are just bitching then fine, but your last sentence is so insulting to towards Arsenal fans.
Below the belt Scott, below the belt!
Well !…………………..the caramel did turn into somekind of toffee topping, but I keep struggling with the apple interior, it always goes too soft !……….still ok though, but back to the drawing board !…………….if I keep struggling to get my apple pie right then fcuk knows how Arsene will get us a decent defense right ……….he aint had no luck since 2006 CL run !
🙂
Personally, I was over the moon about yesterday`s first introduction of The Holy Trinity and it carried on today untill M`kat mentioned Kroenke ! hahaha
As a brewer Scott, any tips on apple pie making ?
😆
Will baking powder help the pies interior firm up ?………..I shall sleep on it !
Night fellow bake offers !
rico, it’s not often you’ll catch me siding with Scott but there’s a bloke on here who even blames the supporters for ruining Gabriel Paulista’s short career with us, Wegner was just an innocent by-stander.
Still that’s Arsenal fan’s for you !
That’ll do me.
Rico, if you spent as much time reading my post as you did having a crack at me, you’d realise I never said Merts didn’t turn his back.
I questioned the comment that he learned it from Kozzer.
Micko,
It must be lovely to know you can insult me without fear of repercussions.
Hope you feel like a big man lol
Well I don’t know about you Cocker, but I’m in the zone, night all…..
Kev, no tips for him on apple pie?
You’re no use hahaha
LC, brewing and baking pies-not sure what the connection is 🙂 🙂
I’d recommend my ale, but not my pies!!!
Is this wishful thinking of fans?
http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/arsenal-ace-alexis-drops-stunning-stay-hint-4204653
Morning Rico. I’m up early this morning as you see, but I may have a lie down after breakfast.
Is the ‘feel-good’ factor returning to the Arsenal?
You never know these days. 🙂
Cryptic as always, Adam 🙂
There’s not much that feels good about being a Gooner these days.
Even when we play well, most can’t see the poor situation the clubs in as too much to bear, and can’t enjoy the moment.
Shame, but it’s reality.
LC, hows that pie going???
Evening all,
Well Arsene Wenger has just over 1.5 years left on his contract, it is my opinion he start preparing to relinquish his position @ The Club by implementing a contingency plan for life after him for the 2019-20 season.
My bunting isn’t making a show yet Brudder…we beat a shit Everton team in true Wenger style. Let’s see how we get on versus a decent team before proclaiming “we’re back!”
GG,
You reckon he will let the world know, or keep us hanging until the end?
Morning Adam, all.
Same here, I’m far from believing we are back on track…
Gg, do you think he’ll stay until the end of his contract? Can’t see it myself..
Rico. I’m staying positive. 🙂
🙂 Adam. I’m remaining a realist… lol
New post up.