Daily Bits and Bobs

Is Mesut Ozil catching a cold a good thing?

Posted on by rico

Morning all.

At least this year has started well enough with a comfortable win over Crystal Palace at The Emirates but it’s nights like tonight which are key to where we end up in May. The last two away fixtures have seen us score early, drop in our performance and end up losing 2-1. That’s not the kind of stuff potential Champions are made of.

Bournemouth will be a tough test that’s for sure, they didn’t make life easy for us in North London a few weeks ago so at home, they should be even more confident, especially having just beaten Swansea 3-0.

They’ll be no Jack Wilshere for the home team but Benik Afobe, another Arsenal lad at heart will be lined up against us having rejected the call from his country to play at the ACON’s.

It’s a shame the same can’t be said of Mohammed Elneny who is away with Egypt. I thought he had a good game on Monday and alongside Xhaka, we looked a bit better. With Santi out injured, it’ll no doubt mean the return of Francis Coquelin in central midfield or Aaron Ramsey. Both Theo Walcott and Kieran Gibbs remain doubts and Mesut Ozil is still struggling with a cold so he’s likely to remain at home today which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. As much as I love the player, we need grafters tonight on the south coast in the cold.

Having sat on the bench during the last match, Shokran Mustafi should return to the first team, as could Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as Arsene Wenger has said ‘we need to find some fresh legs.’

It’s a tough call on rotation as on one hand he needs to be careful with certain players who have played in pretty much every game over this festive period but he needs a very strong side out there tonight because if we lose we can pretty much give up on any slim hope we have of catching Chelsea and in any case, with a trip to Preston in the FA Cup this weekend, he’ll have the opportunity to rotate and rest a few then.

Much is being made of the match between us and Chelsea on February 4th, but if we can’t beat Bournemouth, Swansea, Burnley and Watford before that fixtures arrives then they’ll be little hope for us achieving much this season at all….

Strong performance and three points please Arsenal, let’s close the gap between us and those darn Scousers!!

Have a good day guys….

rico

147 thoughts on “Is Mesut Ozil catching a cold a good thing?”

  1. Marshall says:

    I knew the scousers would spill it. Esp with Mane leaving…

    Back to my beloved Arsenal, it’s good Ozil is getting some rest. I still would like to see Perez start and Ox coming on (before 70th min) for Sanchez. Ramsey-Xhaka is my preference case Coq-Xhaka is too rigid.

  3. Lewis says:

    Morning all.

    Definitely a big test tonight, as you say Rico, we failed our recent away tests and anything other then a win tonight will spell the end of our challenge.

    Agreed on Ozil, scrappy away days are not his thing unfortunately. I think we might have Coq/Ramsey at the base of midfield. It’s about time we saw some form from the latter!!

  7. allezkev says:

    Morning All

    Morning Rico

    Certain lazy elements in the media call Arsenal flat-track bullies, because we often fail in the big games, you know, like Chelsea at home.

    Hold on, didn’t we win that 3-0..?!

    Well that’s easily forgotten if you are a lazy journalist who has an agenda and Arsenal criticism will always earn you plenty of clicks and the gratitude of your editor before you all go to the pub to top up your alcoholic dependency…

    Good post Rico btw, and yes, our next four EPL games are far from guaranteed 3 pointers, in fact every one of them is a guaranteed season killer.

    Liverpool showed how easy it is to fall by the wayside, they’ve been having a great season, by their standards, but have fallen some 5 points behind Chelsea, you know who I mean, the friend of the TV companies, those blue boys who are managed by that nutcase Conte, and you can see how television would simply love to see his pyrotechnics on the sidelines if those Gazprom geezers won the league…

    Out of the title race before the 3rd round of the FACup?
    It’s possible.

    Reminds me of the ‘good old days’.
    Terry Mancini, John Hawley, Ray Hankin, Chris Whyte, Raphael Meade, Brian Hornsby, the names trip off of the tongue.
    A bag of peanuts, make sure you use a toilet before you go into the ground, parking my motorbike in a locals front garden, Jack Kelsey in the Arsenal shop, low expectations, we never had it so good. ?

  11. Wavy says:

    I remember them all and would agree with you Kev, they were all very, very mediocre! The good ol’ days! Although in fairness a good few of those you mention plus Gus Caesar came from the ‘juniors’. The days that we used to produce our own. Not sure what conclusion can be drawn from that comparison!

    There was a time that Bournemouth and Boscombe would have provided no opposition to the mighty Arsenal! Time moves on though, as has been suggested, this game has far greater ramifications for the rest of our season, especially if we suffer a third consecutive defeat. Equals, season’s over, in my view. Our boys have got to turn up and turn it on tonight or it’ll be curtains!

    Afternoon all. Bright but cloudy here today.

  13. allezkev says:

    Gus Ceasar actually looked a good player in the Stiffs, Wavy, I used to watch a lot of reserve and youth games back then…

    I saw a few that I thought were 1st team pedigree, but who ultimately drifted out of it, Dermot Drummy looked good, Mike Pittaway, Jon Purdie, Gary Lewis, Steve Brignall, Paul Read…

    Of course, playing in the 1st team is a totally different environment, youngsters can freeze and go into their shell. I was at Anfield when Steve Brignall made his one and only 1st team appearance. A difficult debut for anyone, but he looked so out of his depth, it was terrible, especially for him…

    Shit or bust this evening…
    I think the Gazprom comrades will drop points vs the Scum, so we need to take advantage…

  16. Mabo says:

    Happy new year. I’ve missed all games over the festive tonight is my first in a while. Hope for all three points

  24. potter says:

    Cech, Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Xhaka, Ramsey, Iwobi, Sanchez, Giroud

    Subs: Ospina, Maitland-Niles, Gabriel, Holding, Reine-Adelaide, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Lucas

  33. allezkev says:

    Night Adam…

    Bournemouth haven’t got clearance from Congo, for Afobe to play…

    It’s getting chilly again Rico, another frosty night ahead.
    It’s cold in Paddington… ?

  34. allezkev says:

    If that’s true Fred, then that makes sense for Wenger to say that Ozil has a cold…

    The Press are all over it anyway, why tell them anything?

  41. Le Coq Monster says:

    Evening all and thanks Rico.

    Bournemouth are minus their best player who cant get into the Arsenal squad, so at least 5-0 to us !…………………….anything else will be ludicrous !

  45. Lewis says:

    Absolute shit. Do our lads know they’re playing a competitive match tonight?

    Second best in every position.

  47. Lee says:

    Fixture pile up of the festive period?
    Bad refereeing?
    The weather?
    Curvature of the Earth?
    Osmosis?

    Or he fact that Wenger can’t cut the mustard anymore? I know here my money is…..

  52. Lee says:

    New stadium
    New right hand man
    New training facilities
    New players….

    Same old bollocks being served up! The one constant is Wenger, please just leave!!

  56. Lewis says:

    Was Gabriel injured? I don’t know why he changed a defence that has just had 2 clean sheets?! You don’t need to have managed 20000 bloody football matches to know that’s a really fucking stupid thing to do.

    Sanchez anonymous. Guess that’s what happens when you play every second of every match. He’ll probably play him for the full 90 against Preston as well.

  62. Kel says:

    It’s just deja vu…. No urgency, failed to turn up, no fight… no shots on target….

    We’ve all been here before….

  67. Lee says:

    Sanchez works his nuts off and had been our best player for ages, as you say Lewis rest the bloke….. or don’t you have faith in his deputies?

    We haven’t had a fucking shot on target…. that’s embarrassing!

    Pointless talking about formations, substitutions or transfer targets until Wenger fucks off imo, he is holding the club back.

  77. Joaquim Moreira says:

    This team is without power, tired, without speed, without claws
    O treinador não sabe gerir a equipa!

  78. rico says:

    If I was Alexis, I’d leave. Ozil too..

    Good on you Bournemouth- you’ve embarrassed this Arsenal side and you totally deserve it….

  83. rico says:

    If I wasn’t a Arsenal fan, I’d laugh… We really are a spent force these days…

    Come on Stan, have a word. No new deal please….

  99. potter says:

    Got a get out of jail card.but doesn’t excuse the first hour. Never be Champions with this soft under belly.Too many players leaving it up to others. Carrying at least 3 that are just not up to it.

  100. Kel says:

    To give any team a 3 goal start is fuckin terrible. particularly a team that is apparently going for the title.

    We got off the hook…

  101. andrewh1313 says:

    Needed Sanchez coming deep and starting things from halfway to finally get us driving forward. Oh, and being 0-3 down. Crazy night. But then at 3-3, Bournemouth looked most likely again. Mad. Didn’t deserve anything really for crap first 60 minutes.

  102. Kel says:

    Have to say cech at fault also tonight, maybe it’s just me but I don’t think he’s all that tbh… I personally see an average keeper….

  104. allezkev says:

    Arsene spent, what, some £90 million in the summer…?!

    Well are we any better, is this team really any better than last seasons???

    We ain’t gonna finish runners-up that’s for sure.

    3rd or 4th…

    But for Kroenke, that’s enough…

    Night All…

  105. Alex says:

    Hello Rico
    Any surprise ….naaa
    When i predicted that we are going for a draw it was evident the phisicall fragility of the team.

    Just look at the bench …..three kids and one already thrown into the deep end.

    The mother of all catastrophy is that Ramsey.If one watches in minute detail his movement you can easily spot he is the cancer.

    But hey…..he along that Feo Willshere are Wenger pets and i expect those kind of result will carry on till Le Prof is reigning.

  106. scottfromoz says:

    Morning all.
    Sanchez is gone at seasons end,
    Yes, I know everyone is rapt up in him, but if anyone tell me his effort, work rate and enthusiasm is what it was months back, then they’re blind.
    He wants out, so let him go and don’t tell me he’s tired because he had abundant energy when we were back in the game.
    I mean, isn’t he the top of player with the wininning attitude who deserves 300k a week?
    I said it went Nasri and the likes left.
    These guys are happy to cop the big pay packet, yet are also happy to leave for more money citing the fact they’re “leaving for trophies”, yet that is why they were brought in, in the first place!!!
    Sorry, and again, I know I’ll be in the minority, but he is a great player, but very selfish, an very petulant when things are not going well.
    How anyone can blame someone other than Bellerin for the first goal is just outrageous.
    Ball watching….Ramsey????
    What was Hector watching-his mum in the stands??
    Then, to compound his pathetic positioning, he charges in, gets stood up and the goal results.
    Xhaka was sucked in for the penalty…..outsmarted like a Sunday pub
    Footballer.
    The attacker took a sideways step in front of him and sticks the arm up??
    Silly boy.
    Yeah yeah…Wenger out blah blah blah, but ffs, when will some of you start having a crack at the guys earning a shit load each week yet making schoolboy errors, and don’t waste your time telling me it’s the coaching because that’s rubbish, and you know it.
    Now, on to Wenger.
    Half time, a sub was needed.
    2-0 down and he wait until it’s 3????
    Bloody hell.
    Also, when Coquelin came off, Ox going on was fine, but why not play him deep and give us some much needed drive from the back??
    Poor, poor tactics and we only got out of this because Eddie Howe went into safety mode, which suits us brilliantly.
    3-0 so why change tactics?L
    Seems the original game plan was working, but I’m glad he did lol.
    Referee stuffed up on their third goal a second it was a definite foul on Hector, but depending what angle he saw from, we can’t be too harsh, and let’s face it, it didn’t really cost us anything as we didn’t deserve anything.
    From Wenger down to everyone’s favourites and villains, we were terrible apart from Mustafi and I’d even give a Giroud a pass mark……..Perez needs to start more games, it’s that simple.
    There’s tomorrow post, Rico hahahahaha.
    Hey, it’ll draw plenty of comments lol

  107. Le Coq Monster says:

    What happened to my 5-0 ? 😆

    Solution(s) ?…………………….short term…….Wenger out and top quality football knowledge/tactical coach comes in .
    Long term………..Kroenke has to go and we need an owner who can invest his money in the team.

    My head tells me we need to be piss poor for a few seasons to get the brainwashing that top 4 and CL are a trophy out of peoples heads and to help in the removal of Kroenke…………………my heart always wants a win even though I know thats impossible to always achieve !

    Not one club I want to win EPL if we are to drop below 4th and languish for a few years in my master plan, but anyone instead of Spuds !
    I hate the thought of Manshafter Std and Bindippers winning it as well and in the past have hated Mansour City and Chavs for buying trophies, but that is the norm now and the only way we will ever win the title again is to buy it and until Kroenke fcuks off or dies we wont see it happen with outa lucky Leicester moment…………………I thought our best chance was to be out of europe to win title, but thats only if we can keep our best players and a better coach, but I honestly believe Ozil and Alexis will be off…………………we need to be out of europe and have our best players to win EPL….but no Ozil and especially Alexis and it will be no hope….otherwise every other non in europe team would be favourites to win EPL !……………………..seems like we are fcuked whatever way we turn !……………………only CL and FA Cup for interest now………………………oh, and the possibility of a St Totteringham Day and for that I would prefer not the usual 4th and them below, but us 17th and them below !………………………………….that would get us my earlier short term solution for sure ! hahaha

  108. Kel says:

    You could literally Cut and paste at this time of the yr from the last 8 to 10. yrs…. same old shit different year same manager.

  109. potter says:

    I put a large post here but it seems to be lost in the ether. However watch Ramsey trotting back and not seeing that Bellerin had gone inside to cover the man ( 17 ) that had run off Xhaka. No communication and no effort to cover. Ramsey is good going forward but no so much the other way. I would play Perez who despite not being speedy covers and works and also has the ability to turn up in the right places .

  110. ScottfromOz says:

    Potter, as much as I spruiked Rambo a year or two back as a potential DM, when given the chance, he showed he has no defensive nous at all as far as positioning is concerned, but watch the replay and see where Bellerin was…..he was our third CB and didn’t need to be infield at all as we had plenty of bodies in that area.
    Then he charges in on the challenge, to boot.
    Woeful defending for a guy recently given 100k a week but he’s young and still learning but, as always, Rambo will cop the criticism, whether at fault or not, and others will escape it.
    Giroud is the same.
    Kel, yes, we could set our clocks by it, and it’s beyond a joke.
    LC, the entire club has a culture of near enough is good enough.
    That starts with Stan but as he’s staying, maybe we do need to change things down the line before he can be outed.
    A few years suffering to see him gone would be well worth it, imo.

  111. goonster says:

    Hahahahahahahah lee said “osmosis” oh my goodness. Am rolling on the floor. Morning guys and a happy new year to all. Who’s surprised? Not me. Been saying it for years. Even if we had messi Ronaldo pele maradona and Bergkamp we still won’t win squat with that dinosaur in charge. Osmosis???? Hahahahahahahah lee you ve killed me.

  116. goonster says:

    We re just a point above manure and the scums. Weren’t we 13 points above maureen’s team??? Men could it get any funnier if both teams pip us to 4th and 5th cause trust me we aint making no top 4 this year. Mark my words.

  117. goonster says:

    Rico must really be pissed….hahahahaha oh arsene see what you ve done to the arsenal faithful. You ve ruined us all.

  118. tsgh says:

    Good morning Rico, Goonster and all

    Scott spot on re your 11:01pm.

    Odd how even Ronaldo does not try to be a one man team for RM…
    It seems incumbent that the so called big players or players who become big under Aw end up becoming selfish.

    The EPL fixtures is a big joke though… you know it is a problem when even Fat Sam is complaining…
    According to the beebs…

    The top six’s busy Christmas: Did Chelsea have an advantage?

    Team

    Hours between matches

    Total distance travelled (miles)

    Points collected

    Hours taken from the start of a team’s first game to the end of their third game.

    *Chelsea play Tottenham on 4 January
    Team Mins Dis travelled pts
    Chelsea 223 39.2 6*
    Liverpool 143.75 334 7
    Manchester City 167.75 261.8 6
    Arsenal 198.75 234 7
    Tottenham 170 219.2 6*
    Manchester United 172.25 434 9

    It appears its Yanited who have done the best over the festive period

  119. tsgh says:

    Goonie, they have been saying we wont make top 3 for since 2002; then in 2007 it became we wont make top 4 due to the UCL places

  121. Marshall says:

    Ramsey out there yapping to the press. I hate how these English players are only the ones on the press. Do your talking on the field. Or better yet eff off to china!

  124. tsgh says:

    Marshall- I know Ramsey has been poor recently but it must be said Sanchez should not have wasted the chance wen we were just a goal down; He is overtly selfish most times…
    Sanchez is a great player but he does take the piss sometimes imho…; he would not play that way under Pep or carlito at BM; In fact Pep bought him from Udinese but dropped him because he was selfish.
    Imo , Sanchez is really acting like the big fish in the ‘small pond’ now; I am not saying Arsenal is a small team btw but lets put things in perspective; How many teams were after Sanchez when Barca made him available?
    I recall only the bin-dippers were after him; Athletico was not interested and Juve who inquired

  125. rico says:

    Scott, I have stolen your comment for the post, just as you suggested. 🙂

    Saves me writing the same old stuff about how rubbish this team is….

    Morning to you, Goonie, Ts, Marshall and all…

  127. bradster says:

    Hi All,
    I went to bed after 3-1, I thought 2 more goals was a stretch too far but this team surprised me.
    We always do poorly during the pile up of games so to come away with a draw is a pleasant surprise.
    I want to see how the team and Wenger copes with the rest of the winnable games before Chelsea and if we really have a what it takes when we need to.

  128. Adam says:

    Rico. I would say that the situation has become ridiculous and the performances are unacceptable for an expensively assembled team with title pretensions. I really can’t be bothered to criticise individuals although Ramsey makes a strong case for doing so. The team, manager and the club itself look stale, out of ideas and complacent and with every passing season that this is allowed to continue, we fall a bit further out of touch. I simply cannot see the case for offering Arsene a new contract, nor him accepting it, right now even from the most ardent of his supporters.

  130. bradster says:

    I’m disappointed in Xhaka. For 30m I was at least hoping for an Emre Can but for guys with the same pace, xhaka doesn’t really get around the middle nor does he control it.

  131. rico says:

    Adam. I can’t work out whether the players aren’t as good as we/they think they are or, like many Arsenal fans, they have simply lost faith in the manager, although I’m leaning towards the the latter. 😉

    The same in any walk of life, if the person you work for isn’t ambitious, then neither will you be after a while, regardless of how good you are. Drive and determination comes from the top…

    If Kroenke gives the man another two years on his contract, then he must be off his rocker…

  132. Adam says:

    We could criticise everything from Wenger’s team selections, through to his substitutions but this is essentially the same team that destroyed Chelsea in about 20 minutes. How can you legislate, as a manager, for a player like Bellerin playing so badly and getting the basics so wrong? Why did Arsene decide to change a defence that hadn’t conceded a goal for a couple of games? Etc, etc. These are the imponderables and interesting points. Personally, I look at the overall picture and what I see isn’t good. Attitude, application and dediaion to the team, above the individual is sadly absent in my view and as I have said before, the more you pay these players, the less inclined they are to really put it in. Alexis and Ozil seem to be the catalysts of change as both are ‘big’ players who probably believe they are bigger than the club. Whatever Alexis thinks about his team mates at the moment, he should keep it off the pitch because it is destabilising. Having said that, my view and desire for change hasn’t really changed for about 5 years now. These performances are the price we are paying for Arsene’s early success.
    But now we need change. Badly.

  134. Alex says:

    Good morning Rico
    Looking at the bench…….the two youngesters what is the purpose of bring them and not using if they are adjudged good to play for the first team ..???

    The score line and the drama of coming back from 3 goal down might be a good distraction but it is a carbon copy of Everton Mancity defeats.
    Physically dead.
    Everyone can see Monreal is one that is targeted by opponents and yet Le prof has done nothing to fort it out.Is clear is evident that Monreal is not cutting it this season and he is a weak.Simple

    SANCHEZ my man of the match not for his performance but to show his frustation and anger at that Wenger pet Ramsey.Well done Sanchez.

    While at it Ramsey is another Wenger failure project.He has nothing to contribute for any top 4 club.He is definetlt a wonderfull player among that little Wales pool as Robson Kanu.

    Same goes to Willshere shines among unknowns….and why is injury free for half season at Bournemouth ?
    His body is not suited to play three games a week.Period …same as Gibbs.
    The idiot manager who suppose to be prepared well on summer comes up with this shit every year.Absolutely incompetent manager…pfft

    Every season repeats itself ..nothing new.

  135. potter says:

    Seem to be losing posts today and have to keep repeating myself which in itself is not unusual. However I wonder how true the rumours are that Sanchez and Ozil won’t sign if Wenger stays.

  136. tsgh says:

    Brad, Xhaka has never been a ‘runner’; unfortunately he is not really doing what he was doing exceptional well at M’gladbach where he had the likes of Kramer doing the running for him

  137. Joaquim Moreira says:

    morning all
    Boornemonth didn’t scored four clear goals?
    Coquelin injury
    Kos – Injury since the begginning or completely tired?
    Bellarin – tired. No speed. Without lucidity
    Monreal – injury during the game?
    Ramsey- in a wrong position and completely out of form
    OX – wrong posi tion in the begginning and them better
    Xhaxa – tired. Without lucidity
    Mustafi – Lack of rhythm
    sanchez – All in effort. Needs rest
    Perez – Must play more.
    Iwoby- tired. Needs a rest. whitout lucidity.
    Giroud – good game, Within the possibilities
    Cesc – Needs a rest.
    so, what are the best score for us tonight? Decrease the distance to chelsea? stay in the 4th place?

  139. Alex says:

    @adam
    I do not understand what do you mean that Sanchez should keep quiet to that shit Ramsey?
    Please be fair Sanchez is wogking his soaks and you think he should eat any crap of that Ramsey.

    Do you think Sanchez does not evalyate his efforts versus others ?

    Do you think that he does not see is a crap player ?

    Sanchez retaliate to that crap Ramsey gesticulation and i see where Sanchez is coming but you dont.

  142. rico says:

    Does make you wonder Potter..

    That as well Adam, but he’s young and enthusiastic and is clearly well respected by his players…

  143. Adam says:

    Rico. He also believes, like most Italian coaches, that you win nothing without a solid defence. Not a concept that Arsene has ever subscribed to. 🙂

  144. Kel says:

    The club is a fucking mess. Silly aul bollocks wenger is churning out the mental strength line again. Really Arsene where was that mental strength going 3 down.?

    as for us being to tired I’d except that if we had have lost a 3 goal lead instead we waited until the point of humiliation to react and then there was no signs of tiredness.

    Bad management and a few lazy players is the cause imo.

  146. tsgh says:

    why do we Arsenal fans elevate certain players so highly?
    If Ozil thinks he is bigger than Arsenal then why did he get sold by RM?
    The same can be said for TH14 and PV04 who in the end thought they were bigger than the club.

    If any player thinks he is bigger than the club then he should honestly bugger off…Imho

    In the end apart from Maradona who on paper appeared to led Napoli to the Serie A title ‘single-handedly’ I doubt any team has functioned as a one man team…

    I can’t stand Alan shearer but at least he showed some loyalty; the same can be said for Matt Le Tissier and a very few like Di Natali who was wanted by Inter, A.C and Juve but still chose to stay at small Udinese.

  147. Alex says:

    Hi …i see where you coming..Rico and Adam.I aggree except this time around the frustation of the real player has to have a limit.
    I would accept anything that is thrown toward those crap players and manager.
    Enough is enough with this regime .
    I have been respectfull and was one of the Untold Arsenal followers for long than necessary.

    I know it sound impolite but no ……enough is enough .

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