Morning all.
I love the above picture, it’s a poke in the eye for all the critics out there who at some stage have passed comment about how we won the league. Meanwhile, I suspect many Arsenal fans couldn’t give a toss how we won it because we won it. Don’t get me wrong, going forwards I hope we see a more exciting style of football but as has become quite obvious at this World Cup, even the best sides struggle to breakdown a lower than low block. I’m not talking about teams who are defensively organised, I mean teams who literally camp out in and around their own box.
I don’t recall anyone moaning back in 2016 about how Leicester City won the league which if my memory serves me right, was by hitting opponents on the break. Getting the ball to Jamie Vardy and hoping he’d score. Good for them I thought at the time because they did exactly what they thought would give them a chance and it worked. Not against us of course as we beat them both home away but I’m pretty sure we were the only club who managed to so.
Isn’t that what Arsenal have just done, find a way to win the league and make it work? The “it’s been 22 years since….” line is over, finito, gone! Oh how the media must hate that.
I wonder how England will fair against what’s expected to be a defensive DR Congo this evening and how long it will be before the pundits are begging for a Declan Rice or Bukayo Saka corner to land on Kanes head if England can’t get a goal? We’ll see…
Would I like to see Arsenal play in a way France played last night? Of course I would but most Premier League teams don’t play the way Sweden did. I’m not trying to make excuses but sport is about winning. Playing entertaining football and coming second doesn’t bring silverware, or money for that matter. After all, had Arsene Wenger been able to get his teams to play more pragmatic football during his second ten year tenure, he might have left the club with at least two more Premier League trophies to his name.
We cannot rewrite history though but I’m convinced that last seasons football was only about winning the league. Now, I think the Arteta handbrake will come off because the pressure is off. Off of him and off of his players and I think the latter is the most important. Pressure, nerves, stress – all can lead to tentative football being played. Perhaps that’s why safe football seems to come before progressive football. Playing yet another pass instead of shooting when the goal is gaping.
Maybe I’m being overly optimistic but it’s what I believe and only time will prove me right or wrong.
To end, Sky Sports report that Kepa is open to a new challenge at a different club where he’d be the first choice keeper. Ex Leeds 6’ 7” Illan Meslier could be his replacement should Kepa move. Meslier is a free agent.
The Bruno Guimaraes rumours rumble on.
Catch up in the comments.
Kane may have just saved Tuchel’s bacon. 1 – 1
No penalty imo.
Too easy in my view, should have stayed on his feet.
Penalty or did Kane go down to easy ? VAR in England would have taken half an hour
England have suddenly woken up…
One goal down and Bellingham in the book.
Well that twenty minutes went well, not.
whoops
Rice starts, Madueke instead of Saka.
I couldn’t resist sharing that one Stuart.
England will find Congo tough to beat I reckon, especially if they don’t play better than they have so far. The defence worries me..
A beautiful photo, Rico. Love it. Thanks for the post. Yep, we were the only team to beat The Foxes home and away that season, and, yes, Arsene likely would have won two more titles with a more pragmatic approach and perhaps some thicker shin pads for Aaron and Eduardo.
England should do the business this evening setting up a mouth watering match in the mountains of Mexico. A veritable fortress where the home side has only ever lost two games of the seventy they have played there.
Arsenal players still at World Cup.
Gabriel, Martinelli, Saliba, Odegaard, Zubimendi, Merino, Raya, Eze, Rice, Saka, Madueke, Trossard.
Me neither Potter. I wouldn’t be at surprised if they do.
Morning from a little bit overcast Norfolk although it’s still shorts and tee shirt weather..
Bit by bit the squad start to get their time off , From a personal point of view I wouldn’t be gutted if four more joined them tonight
I look at the pattern of our game under Arteta Kev, 2/3 seasons ago we were scoring for fun and we weren’t playing as timidly as we did this past season. If Arteta can balance defence and attack and yes, that does mean 2/3 additions imo, there is no reason for us to not to improve.
I actually don’t like the way we play but my opinion is irrelevant in the whole scheme of things.
Thanks Cicero, you’d know him if you saw him. He was once considered to be a very good keeper. But then so was Kepa. 😂
Afternoon Kev, Cicero.
I’m not Kev but I anticipate improvement in the way we play. To be fair, we don’t have to speed the game up much to see that.
Rico, if I was you I wouldn’t really put too much hope at all on Arsenal suddenly morphing into a kind of a Holland circa 1974 anytime soon.
it all depends on the business we do, if we can’t secure the right players at the right prices then it’ll be grind, grind, grind with most of our existing squad, leaning into our main strengths, goalkeeper, defence, midfield. Personally I don’t really care and if it triggers the retards on Sky Sports and Talk Sport then I’ll drink to that…
I haven’t seen the foul on Gyokeres by Upamencano but given the lamentable performances by VAR and the officials in this World Cup nothing surprises me.
G’day Rico, Meslier? Never heard of him, still at six foot seven he will be handy at high balls into the box, just hope he can get down quick enough to low ones. 😉
Fine post by the way.