Daily Bits and Bobs

March 2013. Can we match it? Charlie Nicholas – The ‘diver of all divers’ is back…

Posted on by rico

Morning all.

We needed 3-0, we got 2-0 and were out of Europe….

Goals from Ollie and Koscielny gave us hope but as so often is the case in the Champions League, the result at home left us with a mountain to climb and back then, that mountain was far too steep.

The same result tomorrow night would give us a chance of progressing into the knock-out stages of the competition, a loss would see us gone. A draw would keep us clinging on in hope…

Pressure was off of Arsenal back on that night in March 2013 as no-one really expected us to get anything from the game and to come away with such a great result probably left the boys with mixed emotions. Proud because they’d beaten one of the best sides in Europe but frustrated, knowing that one more goal would have seen us through to the next round.

As expected, there’s been plenty of talk from the Bayern players ahead of tomorrows fixture. Lewandowski wants to rip us apart with plenty of goals, Robben, who missed the first match, has had a few words to say and Vidal has vowed that his side will show just how good they are. ‘The real Bayern’ will play tomorrow.

Goodie..

Back in London, Mertesacker has been raving about Petr Cech, saying that he’s brought a winning mentality with him and the players are feeding off those vibes. He believes that Bayern will be out to get one over us:

They had a Friday night match [against Eintracht Frankfurt] so they are well prepared for midweek – they are clever, the Germans!

We showed that we can beat them, that is a good sign but it will be a different game at their place. They are outstanding in their league, it will be a good game and both teams have a good chance to go through to the knockout stage.

They will be angry I guess. We are the first team who really challenged them, so they will be on the ball and try to show that they are back and better than us.

We need to get something out of this game, there is still a bit of pressure and urgency to perform. We need to perform and defend even better.

It’s funny really, Per Mertesacker wears the captains armband in the absence of Mikel Arteta but imo, he shouldn’t be on the pitch tomorrow night, not at the start. His lack of pace could be our weakness, especially against a side like Bayern who have pace in abundance up front.

Gabriel, who I’d much to see alongside Koscielny, has given his thoughts on tomorrow’s match:

I think we feel more confident within the competition than after the first two games. We had two defeats and we felt a bit down but the group is very strong, so we managed to overcome that and we managed to recover against a great team that will probably fight to win the competition as well.

With this victory, we managed to get up and running and realise that anything is possible in football, thanks to the confidence and ability of all the players.

I think at home we were able to impose ourselves a lot more. We attacked a bit more but I think when we play away, we also have to have a slightly different outlook.

That doesn’t mean we’ll spend the whole game defending. We’re a big team, we’re Arsenal and we need to attack because we need the result.

But we need to attack with intelligence and make sure we don’t suffer a defeat and complicate our situation for the rest of our competition.

Not sure about imposing ourselves at home, it was more like a smash and grab story but a very good one imo. We let Bayern have the ball and defended really well. Then when the chances came, we took two of them. Arsene Wenger had a plan, the boys executed that plan well. I think that’s the way the game will go tomorrow as well, certainly as far as possession goes.

We won’t have Walcott’s pace up front to keep the Bayern defence on their toes but we should have Campbell who will be a bit of a surprise for the German side as they won’t have seen much of him. Mind you, neither have we… 😉

Anyway, more on that tomorrow. For now, I’ll leave you with a few words from Charlie Nicholas:

I see, the diver of all divers and an absolutely tremendous talent, Arjen Robben is back and that does concern me. He’s not quite up to speed but he’s always been a real problem to Arsenal.

I hope the referee is strong with him on the pitch. An early red card for diving would be no less than he’ll probably deserve…

Have a good Tuesday guys…

rico

76 thoughts on “March 2013. Can we match it? Charlie Nicholas – The ‘diver of all divers’ is back…”

  2. Wavy says:

    Morning al. Another dull dull, dank, misty day. Miserable!

    Will we get a result tomorrow or will we find a team that overwhelms us? A dodgy ref? A bought Lino? Who knows?
    The state of German football does seem to be tottering a bit at present. The acrid odour of corruption seems to be smouldering in the corner of the room, both in Bavaria and Frankfurt. FC Hollywood may well come under deeper and greater scrutiny with all their dealings and seeming omnipotence uber ally’s in German football. Höeness in jail for tax fraud, directly club related. Beckenbauer ‘arrested’ for alleged bribery in cahoots with FIFA, whilst he is also an ex Bayern player, manager and President of said club! There is no smoke without fire! And the carpet is definitely smouldering! You have to wonder what other little ‘favours’ have been bought down the years?
    A win for Arsenal tomorrow would, or rather may, allay some of the questionable dealings they may have supported down the years? Ah, conspiracy, conspiracy?

    We really do need a win tomorrow and whilst I do not hold out too much hope that we’ll get one, if we are as good as we think we are then a draw is the minimum we should be aiming for! Anything less and we will not be qualifying for the last sixteen! Maybe a good thing, maybe a bad thing, confidence wise, that is!

  3. Allan Michaud says:

    Charlie needs to check his maths, even if we lose we can still qualify as long as we win by 2 goals against Olympiacos. A point almost guarantees us 2nd and a shock win would leave us a chance to top the group. Going to be a hell of a test. Lose concentration for even a second and they will make us pay. I also hope we don’t get robbed by Robben. Drogba was one of the best all time divers yet Robben makes him look a rank amateur.

  10. Wilfred says:

    Sanchex needs to be less individualistic.He needs to release the ball fast before
    two/three BM players will crowd him out.

  13. Bob John says:

    Hi All
    Wavy it seems we are in the group of corruption. Zagreb with their drug takers, Olympiakos with their match fixing and Bayern with god knows what! UEFA should just award us the group and have done with it!

  16. Hell Raising Devil says:

    I would even go as far to say that both our first champions league matches were fixed.

    I have been saying it for the last three to four years. Some of our matches are fixed. And no one will convince me otherwise.

    Rico…..can we bring the FA’s attention to the actions of that DEAN of a Dean.

  19. potter says:

    I would even go as far to say that both our first champions league matches were fixed.

    Who by , the players, officials , the clubs , Fifa , Uefa ? There is so much money sloshing about in tv money to keep up interest, betting syndicates etc that I can only conclude that you may be right . question is how do you prove it ?

  21. Orfevrerie says:

    Yeah Joe,

    That’s why we must fight to death at least for a draw.

    Discipline positioning is the key with the lads must be patient to take their time to hit back with counter attack.

    Rico, I am not sure your opinion about Mert, we all know he is slow, but that’s what he will bring to the big match like tomorrow, his best positioning skills. In counter attack system, zone marking is the better option rather than man to man marking, to close down and narrow the space tight in our own defense.

    Fingers crossed that the storm attack from bayern would be put into frustrations on them.

    Been Quiet huh?

  23. Lee says:

    JohnTerry : “On the first bit, it’s a case of, for me, we are where we are as a group. I’ve come under criticism, individually, from certain players and individuals, players I’ve looked up to and played alongside. I’ve taken that on the chin: Rio, Carra, Neville, the very best I’ve come up against in the game. I take that on the chin. When others speak, maybe I don’t take it on the chin. When players have not had a career, played at a really bad level in their career … Robbie Savage being one. He’s dug me out a couple of times. You take it as a footballer, as an individual. I’ll take it from the Rios, Carraghers and Neville. All day long. From others? Nah.”

  25. Wavy says:

    Class, Lee, either you’ve got or you ain’t! And Terry, womaniser, cheat, thug who has the ultimate role model for a father, a convicted drug dealer, I don’t think the Dagenham drug boy has anything constructive to say about anyone else, no matter what their career path may have been. He cannot stand on judgement. He needs to do some really basic boot licking and put his own house in order before having the effrontery to criticise anybody else!
    Is that a fair assessment of a most unpleasant human being or have I misjudged him terribly?

  26. rico says:

    Evening All..

    Lee, what an arrogant p***k that man is!

    Joe – then good I guess, we can afford to lose.. Lol

    Orfeveire – I worry about him, Gomis roasted him early on Saturday, that goodness Bellerin was quick enough to get back…

  27. Tai says:

    Evening All…

    Good post Rico…

    I haven’t changed my mind, despite Walcott’s injury.

    We’re taking at least four points off Bayern…not that it will mean anything – doubters would still believe Wenger got lucky.

    I’d call on AW to try another surprise – a 3-5-2.

    Since we got three in-form CBs, play them all,with Gabriel closest to Bellerin, who would work the right flank all on his own, provide the pace we’ll lose without Theo. Will make the middle more compact and unsettle Guardiola who would never expect such formation from Wenger. Just for the lads to keep their shape, even if they succumb to an early goal. We’ll get a result tomorrow and all three points with luck.

    I’ll keep the issue of Sanogo for the right time. And the debate about the type of players Wenger signs after we’re done with Bayern.

    And Rico…we still can qualify even if we lose tomorrow…just to beat both Zagreb and Olympiacos( with a 2 goal margin), provided bayern wins last two matches. Again, that would only be compulsory if Olympiacos beats Zagreb…otherwise, just one more win and a draw, irrespective of what happens tomorrow in Munich, could be enough.

  28. rico says:

    Yes Tai, that’s already been pointed out to me about the way we can qualify even if we lose…

    Why would anyone feel AW is lucky should we get a positive result tomorrow?

  31. allezkev says:

    Mourinho, Hazard, Fabregas, Costa, imagine all those egos in one dressing room???
    Not wonder Stamford Bridge is falling down…

    I blame Lee

  33. Orfevrerie says:

    We should support mou’s at chelsea forever no matter what.

    In fact, us as Arsenal fans should start the petition to JOSE STAYS AT CHELSEA.

    Maybe you Rico can be the pioneer?

  43. allezkev says:

    The flight was delayed Rico…

    So I got up at a civilised hour… ?

    I eventually went and got him, just as well, he was like a lost lamb in the ‘big city’… ?

  44. Orfevrerie says:

    Tai forgot one thing about the other possibility.

    If Bayern and olym came out with 9 points both, they could both play a very friendly match and both came out with 10 points. and…….we are max at 9 points. OH scarry huh?

  45. allezkev says:

    Bellerin out is a massive blow, bigger for me than losing Walcott and Ox…

    Debuchy needs to pros have this game as if this is his chance of reclaiming his spot…

    If he fails, then he can’t blame anyone else….

    Campbell took his chance at Swansea, now Debuchy needs to step up…

  47. allezkev says:

    In other words ?

    Debuchy needs to show in this game, that he has a future and this is his chance.

    I think that makes sense…

  49. allezkev says:

    Hi Orf…

    Yeah, I see your point mate, but it’s no good Debuchy sulking, he needs to man up and show that he is still International class…

    This is his opportunity…

    He either takes it…?

    Or flunks it…?

    I hope he’s the man of the match.
    I hope he saves his Arsenal career.
    I hope he stops Bayern and then scores the winner…

  50. Orfevrerie says:

    This bellerin news got me down.

    Sorry guys, it’s already 2 am in the morning past midnight in Indonesia.

    Got to get up at six in the regular morning and office at seven.

    Thanks guys for the friendly chats, I kinda enjoy the healthy environment here.

    Thanks Rico, and see ya all later.

  58. Tai says:

    Morning Rico, All…

    So sorry Rico that i didn’t get back in after my comment. Been extremely busy. It’s always a pleasure to write a post here but not at the moment. I would have forced it if I saw the call yesterday. I’ll make it up soon. A promise.

    Thanks for the honour.

    No Bellerin? Huge blow but Debuchy is a great player…two to three starts and Bellerin will fight to get his position back. But against Bayern? Tough, very tough. No Theo. No Ox. No Bellerin. How do we counter-attack? More reason Wenger should try a 3-5-2.

  61. rico says:

    Morning Tai, Lee and all..

    Atkinson! Lord help us…. Still, just have to make sure he has nothing to do in the game or with the result..

    Keep up Lee, I posted that about Jeff last night… 😉

  70. Wavy says:

    Lunch? I haven’t had my breakfast yet!

    Morning all. Still dreary here!

    = another vitriolic anti chav post sometime today!

  75. rico says:

    Darn internet!!

    Lost my post and just scrabbled a load of tripe together again…. 🙁

    Morning Wavy, Scott & Jm.

    New post up now…

Leave your comment.

Discover more from Highbury House

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading