Daily Bits and Bobs

Next six are crucial. Ray Parlour confirms what’s going on behind the scenes at Arsenal..

Posted on by rico

Morning all.

Another day in the crazy life of being an Arsenal fan. One day it’s all looking good and then just a few days later, hopes are shattered again as the usual slip ups occur. It’s nothing new so days like Tuesday and Sunday should come as no surprise but even so, they still hurt.

Nigel Winterburn was talking on Sky Sports yesterday morning and he was as livid as us fans were with Sane’s goal not being given offside and again like us, he questioned whether this season it’ll be the same old same old from his former team. We have six matches now before a tough test at Stamford Bridge in early February against the current league leaders.

Arsenal v West Bromwich Albion Mon 26 Dec 15:00
Arsenal v Crystal Palace Sun 1 Jan 16:00
Bournemouth v Arsenal Tue 3 Jan 19:45
Swansea City v Arsenal Sat 14 Jan 15:00
Arsenal v Burnley Sun 22 Jan 14:15
Arsenal v Watford Tue 31 Jan 19:45

Not for a minute am I suggesting this Arsenal team will find the above fixtures easy, they should be certain victories for us but the way we are  approaching matches and playing, we are just as likely to lose a few matches as we are winning them because within the group and I include the manager, there seems to be a lack of motivation. Too many players go missing during the 90 odd minutes instead of rolling up their sleeves and giving their all. Mesut Ozil is one and he’s always bound to be the first one highlighted because of his price tag but he’s not alone. Where’s the tough tackling Xhaka gone and Coquelin has taken his foot off the gas too. Monreal is having a stinker of a season, Koscielny and Gabriel couldn’t clear a ball for toffee at City and Petr Cech was nearly as bad with his goal kicks. In fact, apart from Alexis, who else is putting in a shift for 90 minutes? And he can’t do it all on his own.

Yet as we’ve all said so often, Arsene Wenger doesn’t have a bad squad at his disposal, on the contrary as he has a squad many other managers could only wish for but right now the Frenchman isn’t getting the best out of them. So we miss Cazorla, we clearly miss Mustafi too but this is why a club has a squad. It simply has to be able to cope with an injury or two and carry on and it would if the players had a kick up the jacksie but it’s clear they are not getting it.

Ray Parlour:

Arsenal at times when they are up against it, not everyone can defend well as a team. And you need people pulling their team-mates around saying ‘Sit in there for five, ten minutes. Weather this storm and then we can get on the front foot again.’

Sometimes that is what they are lacking at the minute. We had big characters in our team Tony Adams, Patrick Vieira right through the spine of the team. Myself even. Sometimes I just want a few more characters in this team. They do have some — Francis Coquelin has done well and Granit Xhaka is going to be a top player as well but you just want to see them pulling people around. And that could be the difference between winning and losing games.

Arsene Wenger had a lot of characters when he first turned up at Arsenal and obviously Patrick Vieira and Emmanuel Petit came in after. Against City a lot of players were not there to be seen in that second half.

You have to be a little bit concerned by what happened in two games. It just shows you what a week can do in football. Sitting top of the league last week and then losing two games and all of a sudden you’re nine points behind. It has been a really bad week for Arsenal but you have to bounce back. They will be concerned and there will be a meeting. They will have a chat about it and where it went wrong in those last two games. Then it’s about looking forward.

If Arsenal drop any more points in the next two games, they are definitely out of the title race and playing for the top four. Come March, you want to be hoping that you still have a chance to win the league. So it is vital now they win the next two, then look at the situation and see how other teams are doing.

Nothing there from Romford that we didn’t know already really although I think we do have leaders in the camp but in my opinion, Arsene Wenger doesn’t allow them to express such qualities. Xhaka arrived as a tough tackling midfielder, Gabriel the same. He was a tough nut defender on arrival but that side of both players game has gone. Even Coquelin looks afraid to get stuck in these days. I’m not saying be dirty, none of us would want to see that but maybe a bit more passion, fight and aggression would go a long way towards getting a better performance on a match day.

As would a bit more of the same from the management. And I don’t just mean Arsene Wenger…..

rico

59 thoughts on “Next six are crucial. Ray Parlour confirms what’s going on behind the scenes at Arsenal..”

  4. Herbert Mangale says:

    Now with the Ox injured – I would like to see Arsene giving Lucas Perez a chance.
    I believe the latter will be like Sanchez given the chance. BIG PLEASE COACH.

  7. andrewh1313 says:

    Exactly rico, I watched last 15 minutes of Everton game. Hate Liverpool but loved seeing Klopp’s anger then elation, best clenched fist celebration of the year. If only ……..

  8. david maya says:

    Same old, same old and left with the bitter taste of disappointment. Wenger talks of mental strength, which usually comes from coming back against lesser teams. I think his laid back attitude, unwilling to try different formation, making substitutions too late when things are not working, shows a mental weakness which infiltrates the team. I was hoping with the addition of Mustafi and Xhaka to Cech, Coquelin, Sanchez and Bellerin would bring a strong backbone to the team, yet the team still have an air of vulnerability. Would a stronger manager turn this team into title contenders

  9. rico says:

    Spot on Brad. What does AW do? Wipe his nose with his hand every five mins…

    And another pair of specs broken I suspect Andrew after Lallana jumped all over him…

  11. Marshall says:

    Hi all, Rico.
    About Klopp I still don’t get the fans who thought he wouldn’t be better than Wenger for us. Klopp would have taken this team to new heights. We may not be winning all the games but I bet we’d never loose a game due to ‘lack of motivation’..ever.

  14. Wavy says:

    .”I just don’t believe it!” Said Victor Meldrew.
    And neither do I! 1st to 4th in less than 7 days! Sad to say those 2 results came as no surprise, no surprise at all. Accidents happen this particular accident has been on the cards all the way through November and if we’ re really honest most of September too. Some of the performances recently have been dire although the results have mostly been positive as, we’ve ‘ground out another result’. The ship has been beached and we’ve been found out! The articles about Kronke and his seeming reluctance to put any cash into the club, does not shock or surprise me. He has bought a good franchise, one that, when the time comes will pay him well should he wish to cash in his chips. Then perhaps we could embrace Usminov and I rather think he would be far more willing to use a bit of his small change to let us compete at the top table! Ah, I wish, sorry, we all wish!
    Wenger’s days are numbered a few more results like the last 2 and he will be toast. He knows it, we know it, but the Boarddo not, it would seem. However, changing the manager and coaching staff may leave us even more disappointed. I mean, can you see the Board attracting a top, top manager who they have to pay top dollar for? No, neither can I. So we will be left worse off than we are now. That scenario hardly represents progress.
    I can only see ships, hardships in the future. Not the right mind set to approach the New Year!

    Well there’s an optimistic post for everyone to digest at this time of the morning!

    Morning all. It’s sunny here, surprisingly!

  15. Adam says:

    I would say that the Arsenal manager’s job is one of the most desirable in World football myself Wavy. I doubt the board would have any problem attracting a great manager. Whether he would be the right one is another matter of course. But you are right in that Arsene has had it.

  17. Wavy says:

    Yer but, would they shell out enough cash to attract a top, top manager? My feeling is, they wouldn’t! They’re tight wads, every last one of them. Usminov? Who can say?

    I still believe that, despite yesterday’s revelations rè Wenger’s new contract, signed or unsigned he will make up his mind on his future……….. You guessed it……..in May!

  30. Lewis says:

    I think most managers out there would love to be at Arsenal, there are very handsome rewards on offer for mediocrity.

  35. allezkev says:

    Interesting to see that Arsenal scouts are watching a goalkeeper…

    6′ 6″ tall, 22 years old,
    probably one for next summer as a replacement for Ospina?

  36. allezkev says:

    The decline in Nacho Monreal is quite worrying…
    Maybe he’s simply just going through a dip in form and confidence, and he’s not exactly ancient so he can come back to his old form, but I think that Gibbs has done well when he’s played and probably deserves a chance of earning a regular place.

    Give Gibbs the chance of a regular game and he might just develop into the quality left-back he threatened to be before the injuries wrecked his early career…

  37. Nashua Gunner says:

    Good Afternoon Rico and All.

    The whole team, including the manager, has to be blamed for the past two losses. But I will take issues with Ozil. You are one of the best play maker in the world. You always demanding the ball to create chances, which is good but when you lose the ball there is no effort on your part to challenge to get the ball back. Complaining because you didn’t received the ball exactly the way you wanted the ball. A little pushed from your opponent and you lose the ball and started complaining because the referee didn’t give a faul. I haven’t see him of late trying to cut off a pass to his opponent by closing them down before the pass is initiated.

    Is it just me that Xhaka is becoming another Alex Song? Or already another Alex Song? Long range passes, long distance goals but foolish tackles in dangerous areas?

  40. kelsey says:

    That site is back up Rico,,maybe it was Black Tuesday 😉

    We need replacements for Ospina,Mertesacker,Cazorla, Gibbs and or Monreal, Walcott, The Ox and Giroud will demand a transfer request. Iwobi will be played and played taking anything that is good in him away,Sanchez and or Ozil will leave,Perez could be anything if given the chance. Debuchy was a bad buy as was Gabriel, Jenkinson and Chambers aren’t good enough and I can’t think of anymore for the moment.

  41. Wavy says:

    So, are you saying the “Squad” is inadequate? I thought we’d got strength in depth this year. Everybody said so!

  42. rico says:

    Afternoon Ng, afternoon all.

    Kev, that link is funny. Hopefully the contract story is equally as rubbish…

    Guess if we sign that 6′ 6″ keeper, Martinez, Macey, Szczesny could all be on the move…

  43. rico says:

    I think the squad is pretty good, it’s what’s being done with it which is going wrong..

    Another couple of players in the summer/Jan wouldn’t do any harm, but this is our best squad for a while imo.

  44. potter says:

    Anyone else been invited to a VIP tour of the stadium hosted by Ray Parlour or Martin Keown. A coffee in the Armoury then into the stadium for personalised trip showing all the sights that are hidden from the average pleb. Dinner with your celeb with a free drink.All this for a bargain price of £350.00. THEY OUGHT TO PAY ME AFTER GOING TO WATCH SINCE 1956.

  48. Le Coq Monster says:

    Evening and thanks to the Romford Pele and the Reading Ronaldo………………choice of two there Rico ! 🙂

    I`ll never abuse Wenger, but he has to go, he cant motivate players anymore and oh for a Klopp and if I hear “Mental Strength” once more I will commit……………adultery !………think I`m stupid enough to want to kill myself ?………….I want to live and see Kroenke die whilst in the buxom of a fit woman rugby player…..scrummy ! hahaha

    Just attempted a world first as far as I know…………if you know me, you`ll know I do lots of Planks and Ab stuff and the planks are getting too easy, I`ve tried a boring 15 minute one……tried one arm ones and one arm and one leg off the floor ones, but they too are getting to easy, so before I had a brainwave whilst in the plank position……………………I`ll try a plank for one minute just on one foot and my forehead !……………I was succesfull, but lol……. I have a shag pile carpet mark on my forehead now ! hahahahaha

  52. Wavy says:

    I’ve had an invite! I deleted it! They can bollocks. Money grubs that they are.
    It’s all about the money, all about the money.
    Greed…..one of the 7 deadly sins.
    Be sure your sins will find you out.

    Offers like that do nothing to endear a supporter to the club they love.

    Shocking!

  53. Marshall says:

    Morning all,

    Change is inevitable, the sooner the better though for Arsenal. £350 for a tour? These people are blood sucking geezers. If I paid that amount I expect to be shown that hidden champions league trophy…oh wait.

  54. gnarleygeorge9 says:

    Good evening rico & all,

    The luxury of being 20,000 kms away is that you can take a metaphoric step back to calmly analyse things Arsenal.

    It can’t get any worse, & normally it does get better. The Arsenal are still only 9 points off the pace & the chavs will slip up, they can’t keep winning 1-0 with the help of that baboon looking front man Costa.

    Everyone has put a line through The Arsenal for the Title, & this after just a 5 day horror period. Didn’t the northern chavs just come off a 2 game losing streak?

    Backs against the wall stuff this is now. We have to lift each other, not tear into each other like I’ve been seeing. The ones you win, which you don’t expect to are always the sweetest.

  55. rico says:

    Morning Marshall, GG and all

    Didn’t we say Leicester would slip up last season… 😉

    🙂 Marshall, there’s always the Charity Shield…

  57. Le Coq Monster says:

    Morning all .

    I`d like Arsene to take me on the tour and let him see a glimpse of the top of the Chloroform bottle to let him know I mean business and that he shouldn`t even think about using the words….mental strength…..let alone say them !

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