Daily Bits and Bobs

It’s ajar again but time is running out…

Posted on by rico
That’ll be the Toots then…..

Morning all.

Yet again the Toots have opened the door to us, Chelsea and today’s opponents Man Utd. If there’s a winner in the late match, just one point will be between them and Poch’s team. A draw, while not a disaster, would be a disappointment because were at home and our home should be our castle. Utd might have beaten us in the FA Cup, they might be having a great run but that run can come to an end at any time. It should have against Southampton but the officials made sure it didn’t.

If I remember rightly, Ole deployed Lukaku on the right up front and he caused us a few problems. Again though, it was a match in which we looked comfortable in and in control of until Sokratis suffered injury and had to be replaced by Mustafi. Alexis hadn’t been able to get into the game but it was he who opened the scoring.

So annoys me to see this. Play to the whistle!

It wasn’t long before the visitors went 2-0 up in what was a disastrous two minutes. Lukaku on the right supplied the cross, Lingard with the finish. Just before the break, Aubameyang pulled one back and Ramsey nearly levelled the scores with a fine header kept out by an equally fine save. The second half got worse as Koscielny had to leave the pitch after Lukaku thought i5 was a good idea to land his studs on our captains face. Martial made it 3-1 before the end. There was still time for a little spat between Rashford and Kolasinac which ended with them both getting booked. Lingard joined in to. Already on a yellow card, he was fortunate not to be send off. Very fortunate.

Team news:

Arsenal: No Torrieira as he’s suspended for this one but other than that we have no additional absentees to Holding, Bellerin and Welbeck.

Utd: Bailly is a doubt. Valencia, Lingard, Sanchez and Mata are ruled out.

Everything seems to be going right for Utd at the moment, even in the Champions League but if Unai Emery and his Arsenal players want that prestigious European spot, they really can’t afford to lose any more games between now and the end of the season. Both 3rd and 4th spot are up for grabs again after yesterday’s result and as Potter said yesterday, the chance to get just one point behind Toots today should be motivation enough ahead of our game.

If it’s not, we have no chance…


rico

82 thoughts on “It’s ajar again but time is running out…”

  1. potter says:

    It’s the wait that kills you . As you read and try to assimilate the information true or fake , the opinions of all the talking heads . All we can do is sit and wait . Put the kettle on and have another cup.

  2. allezkev says:

    Morning Gooner’s
    Morning Rico, nice post, good old Tottnum, always there when you need a lift… 😄

    Man U will do what they always do, try to suck us in and then hit us on the break, they’ve been doing this for years and we’ve played quite dumb during that time, making the same mistakes, they just wait for us to mess up, relying on de Gey before taking advantage of a loose pass (Xhaka), a poor challenge (Mustafi) or someone switching off and losing a runner.

    The referee is so poor, I really don’t trust him at all, but our players just have to be smarter, don’t give him the chance to get his cards out unless it’s unavoidable. We all know that he’ll favour United but that’s just normal.

    As it stands, I’m thinking a 2-2 draw, but we really cannot lose, that would be a disaster…

  4. Wavy says:

    2-1.
    They need putting in their place!
    A few cards and the odd sending off, for the ‘greatest club in the world’ (my arse), would be revenge on all sorts of levels.

    Wet and windy here again, not at all Khmer Rouge weather😊

  6. potter says:

    We had had Jonathon Moss 4 times so far this season won two against Everton and Huddersfield and lost to Spurs , West ham and he has given us 2 yellows in each match.
    Personally I don’t like him as he is often caught out long behind the play and doesn’t see anything off the ball.His decision making is suspect ( even Shearer on motd said he is indecisive and his decisions are often baffling ).
    I fear that today will be decided on a poor decision and having watched this man so many times I fear it will not be us that get the benefits of the doubt.

  7. rico says:

    He’s overweight and unfit, certainly not fit enough to keep up with the game as it’s played today.

    Oh, and he’s northern, so that hardly helps. But Kev is right, we need to be smart and not give him a decision to make. It’s not like a bad ref is something new..

  8. Le Coq Monster says:

    Afternoon all and thanks Rico for a fine post.

    Seems from reading elswhere that most think Ole`s run has been quite fortunate on many occassions…………….sounds familiar to Dicks fortunate run, but different in that Manshafter (have) always get the rub of the green with officials, but that`s what you get when you have your own reffereeing academy !.

    That Cicero is somekind of International Man of Mystery ! 🙂

    If we go by a lot of our favourable performances under Dick then it seems we get fired up for the bigger games, so I expect a shift put in today what ever the result, but shouldn`t that be the case for every game ?

    Oi Scott………………Eddie Jones is not an Australian, he`s Tasmanian !…………..it`s like telling a Cornishman he`s English !………………..you can if you want a rectum over filled with pasties ! 🙂

  9. Joaquim Moreira says:

    afternoon all!
    rico, what are your hopes for today and Thursday?
    If I could play, I knew what they were.
    With this team, I do not risk predictions.

  10. rico says:

    Just been reading about Monchi. At Roma last summer he brought in 13 players. Total cost just under £120 million.

    Roma sold 15 players, bring in around £130 million.

    If he does arrive at Arsenal, we could be in for a busy old summer… 🤔

  12. rico says:

    The previous transfer was similar at Roma. Numbers were less at 9 I think but he still balanced the books.

    I’ve no idea what the players he signed were like as far as quality goes but he certainly likes wheeling and dealing.

    Kroenke will love him if he maintains his zero net spending… pff!

  13. VCC says:

    Lets hope John Moss, todays referee, does us some favours. We are do the rub of the green against these Morons.

    Just wish we had Tony Adams still playing, so he could give Rashford pay back for taking Holding out.

    Wonder if ManUre will get a helping hand penalty?

    COYG

  15. allezkev says:

    Rico, I also had a look through that Roma transfermarket list and all I could see was a lot of players for not a lot of money, which Enos will love especially if we can sell them at a big profit, but also none of them made me think ‘wow that’s a great bit of business’ they all looked pretty nondescript to me – just average.

    I’m quite underwhelmed tbh, but that’s Arsenal under KSE, bang average….

  16. rico says:

    Probably Vcc if they need one..

    Just what I thought Kev, a lot of players but apart from Nzonzi who imo Roma paid over the odds for, it’s just names. Overmars would be my choice but he’s not Spanish. #just saying….

  18. rico says:

    That’s funny re Toots. Ironic they hope to play their first game on 1st April.

    I’m surprised they are bothering this season, a new ground whilst still in the CL could really muck them up. Fingers crossed it does.

  19. allezkev says:

    Is it just me, but has the amount of ads we get online almost trebled?

    Bloody Google ads everywhere, it’s like a contagious disease, you can’t escape them.

    You go on some sites and it takes bloody forever to load while your tablet loads up with a ton of crap, pop ups, videos, it a fecking nightmare. And it’ll just eat itself because there’s certain sites I just don’t go on anymore.

    NewsNow is becoming impossible, I used to go on it all the time, but once a day if that now, they and Google can go and feck themselves.

    Even Jeorge Birds site has them popping up all the time, that site has really gone right down the toilet.

    I had a rare butchers on the Daily Cannon today it’s one I usually avoid, bloody hell what a nightmare, it’s just a flood of poxy ads,well Lady Arse can fcuk right off and stick it up her arse.

    The whole thing is gradually being ruined…

  21. allezkev says:

    HH is an Oasis in a desert of click bait advertising Rico, some sites like the Express or Star are a complete morass of ads, never go there anymore, won’t go there ever again.

  25. Rick says:

    Afternoon Rico and the House.
    Todays team
    Leno.Niles ,Sokratis ,Kossy Monreal,
    Kolasnic Xhaka, Ramsey, Ozil, Auba, Lacazett

  27. allezkev says:

    Arsenal: Leno, Maitland-Niles, Sokratis, Koscielny, Monreal, Kolasinac, Xhaka, Ramsey, Ozil, Lacazette, Aubameyang

    Subs: Cech, Mustafi, Elneny, Guendouzi, Suarez, Iwobi, Nketiah

    Man Utd: De Gea, Young, Lindelof, Smalling, Shaw, Matic, Fred, Pogba, Dalot, Lukaku, Rashford

    Subs: Romero, Bailly, Rojo, McTominay, Andreas, Martial, Greenwood

  29. allezkev says:

    I didn’t see that line up, but maybe it’s because it’s shit or bust?

    Aubameyang and Lacazette have been going through a thin time recently, so maybe the answer is to play both of them and they can help each other out of their current slump in form.

    Ozil is a real surprise, but I guess he wasn’t our worst player in Rennes, whilst Guendouzi might need a breather, a chance to reboot, so here ya go son, have a sit down next to Elneny…

    I get the feeling that Emery is running out of patience with Mustafi, that’s if he isn’t carrying a knock, but I am a bit surprised that Mavropanos isn’t included?

    Man Utd look physical, dirty and just, well, typical Man Utd.

    I just get this horrible feeling that the fat man with the whistle is going to stitch us up… 😕

  32. andorrabyte says:

    Afternoon one and all.
    Will that penalty miss come back and haunt us? We’d be in 4th with a game in hand over Spurs……….
    This afternoon (very shortly) is a defining moment – we need the A team out there today and NO screwups!.
    Crikey, this is torture.

    Another good post Rico, by the way, don’t know how you keep coming up with the goods, but you do.
    Fingers crossed that we get the rub of the green for once?
    C’mon you Gunners!!!!!!!!!! DON’T fire any blanks and don’t let Man Utd breathe.

  50. andorrabyte says:

    Aubamuyang just USELESS! Doesn’t get involved at all and then, just after the restart gets a very good ball from Lacazette but, instead of hammering it plays it back……I’d rather have Iwobi frankly or one of the youngsters.

  51. andorrabyte says:

    United have missed lots of opportunities so if we manage to win this it’ll be an absolute miracle

  58. allezkev says:

    I’ve had to put up with Adam all season, constantly telling what a great prospect AMN is, well mate, you was right, AMN has what it takes.

    I’ll listen to you next time….

  61. micko says:

    If today’s win doesn’t get the team buzzing again nothing will, who can’t help but like a good old fashioned shut out as well !

  62. Le Coq Monster says:

    Cant wait for MotD…………………………..I hope that is the confidence builder for the Rennes game.

    Can we really dream that we get top 4 and win EL whilst Spuds get knocked out of CL and drop out of top 4……………………what a season that would be !

  67. Rick says:

    You can add Danny Mills to those 3
    He has said Lukakus early miss set the tone really and part from that Leno wasn’t tested.
    and every time he was (tested) he matched it.

  68. scottfromoz says:

    Anyone else a little dirty we are winning “soft” penalties, of late?
    By soft, I mean bloody dives!

  69. scottfromoz says:

    Rick, Leno has shown enough to suggest he could be our keeper for a very long time.
    He’s young enough to have imoreovenent left in him, and some of his shot stopping is out if this world.
    Plenty to like 🙂

  72. VCC says:

    Well done to the boys.

    Thats the most comfortable I’ve been watching an Arsenal v ManUre game that I can ever remember. Yes, they had chances, but thats to be expected with a strike force like ManUre have, but I thought we were almost totally in control throughout. Great tactics shown by UE.

    Xhaka, my MOTM (never thought I would ever say that), and AMN were terrific. Both had their best game in an Arsenal shirt by far.

    Hopefully we can push on from this and make a top four spot this season.

    Will have a great week now that my beloved Arsenal are seemingly showing some backbone, together with some fine tactics and skill.

    Keep it up boys.

    COYG

  73. allezkev says:

    Yes Adam I remember what you said about Willock and Nketiah, our youth players can save us a fortune… 🙂

    Now, I wonder how the editing team at MotD will divvy up the highlights of today’s game at the Emirates, will they possibly make it look as if a Man Utd were robbed?

    You’ve gotta these kinds of weekends, ManUtd and Spuds drop 3 points, Chavs drop 2 pts.
    It doesn’t get much better.
    Night Gooners…

  77. scottfromoz says:

    Rico, I know we have had soft penalties given against us for years now, so I guess a little payback is due but I just can’t get my head around being happy with them.
    It might take me another 20 years to accept that they’re part of the game 🙂

  79. Cicero says:

    The door was ajar, as Rico said, but have we kicked down now?

    Heading for the Cambodia/Vietnam border with glimpses of the Mekong River. Hot and sunny but surprisingly green despite it being the dry season.

  80. scottfromoz says:

    Hi Cicero,
    We have a very cushy run in on paper, but that guarantees nothing of course.
    Still, rather be where we are and have what’s ahead of us than those clubs around us.

  81. rico says:

    A shove is a shove Scott, that’s it.. lol

    Cushy run in? I don’t think we have at all. Every away fixture is a difficult one I think.

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