Morning all.
Personally, I hope Carlo Ancelotti is nowhere near Arsenal Football Club when Raul Sanllehi and his side kicks are conducting interviews for the new head coach. If they have any planned that is because there’s always a chance Freddie could be appointed. Turning to an ageing coach is not the way forward in my opinion, after all, part of the reason we are where we are now is down to an older manager not moving with the times. There’s a reason Ancelotti was sacked by Napoli and and I don’t think it’s up to us to offer him a way back into management. Arsenal need to find the next best thing, not the last one.
So many names are being thrown around as the guessing games rumble on. Ten was the latest number in the Mirror a day or so ago but David Ornstein reckons that number has been reduced to two. Patrick Vieira and Mikel Arteta. One is struggling in France with Nice, the other learning his trade under the worlds best, Pep Guardiola. Although Jurgen Klopp might disagree these days. Whether Ornstein proves to be right or not I guess only time will tell but I’d imagine, or rather hope, our options run deeper than those two. Paulo Sousa has been another name mentioned, the type of guy who as a player in his heyday, would slot right into our team and make it stronger. If his managerial vision is as it was as a player, then sign him up but his Bordeaux side aren’t keeping many clean sheets this season. Saying that, Bordeaux finished 14th last season so his club must be pleased to see them currently sitting in 5th place with a return to Champions League football a possibility.
Whilst all of that goes on away from the pitch, we’ve a job to get done in Belgium later on this afternoon. Injuries have hit us for this one with Pepe, Holding, Bellerin, Tierney, Xhaka and Ceballos all ruled out. Mustafi misses out too having picked up one too many bookings.
Anything other than a 5-0 defeat will see us through to the knockout stages of this competition but I fully expect us to go out there later and notch up our second victory in as many matches. Despite injuries, we’ve enough experience to get the right result and top the group. The club hasn’t released details of the squad in Belgium but if the photographs of yesterday’s training are anything to go by, it’ll be a young team with a few old heads in amongst it.
Standard Liege can still progress through to the next stage so they’ll be up for this one but I believe they would still need Frankfurt to lose unless they tear us apart which I can’t see happening.
Anyway, let’s just get this stage of Europa done and move the club forward. Come on, it is Election Day….
Enjoy the game guys, it kicks off early don’t forget…
Afternoon all and thanks Rico.
Give it to Arteta just to shut me up ! 😆
Anyway off topic, after weeks and weeks of pressure from the public the FA have finally released a photo of the VAR panel……………..
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/04/11/article-2128184-0053DCC300000258-57_634x379.jpg
Not sure that I totally agree with you today . Whilst I agree that in the long run we will need a young new thinking person to run things. At present the job of sifting out the dead wood has not been completed . Whilst that is happening a head with some experience is needed to see us through for another couple of windows whilst our crop of youngsters comes good.
Emery was originally given that task for 2 plus years with the caveat that he kept us in either the Europa or even better . He went with his time and job half completed . The squad overhaul still needs to be done.
It’d be worth it Lc.. lol
I can see where you’re coming from Potter but I’d have thought whoever comes in now should be thinking of a long term plan. Also, aren’t the board doing the selling and signing these days?
I read the other day that three players Emery wanted, he was denied. Saha, Maguire and a DM whose name escapes me.
It’s as much a case of losing players than the getting ones in.
If he had a list and we all know you don’t get everything you want , then the type of player was obvious to the buying department .
Martinez, AMN, Thud and Blunder, Mavropanos, Guendouzi, Willock, Saka, Nelson, Smith Rowe, Lacazette.
For Thud and Blunder read Sokratis and Luiz.
Yet we still didn’t sign a CDM in the summer..
That’s a young side..
Subs, Leno,Chambers, Medley, Olayinka, Martinelli, John-Jules, Aubameyang.
Cold -5, and wet in Liege. Ozil tucked up in front of the fire at home.
Young sub’s bench too Rico.
Either 3 at the back, with Saka and ANN as wing backs?
Or, a flat back four with Luiz as d/m
Interesting selection.
Great post Rico and thanks.
Very Cicero.
Thanks Kev.
Luiz as DM I reckon..
I hope that we are in a comfortable enough position for Freddie to give John Jules a run out…
We don’t want to have to bring Martinelli or Auba on…
Thud and Blunder,very good.
Agree, need them both on Sunday.
I really don’t like seeing Guendouzi making a meal over that little bit of contact. Pathetic..
Cheating , Cheating Little Arsewipe really Winds me up !!
Sorry , Hi Rico and all.
Hi Mike. You and me both.
Chaotic attempts at playing the ball out from the back Mavropanos getting in a tangle. Is it a risk worth taking?
This is dire, the only excitement is watching how comically inept we are at defending. I do feel sorry for our away fans having to watch this tripe.
Awful…..
Oh dear…
Sokratis turns his back to a shot and deflects the ball into the net. Disgraceful!
If this is the best Freddie can get out of his players he has no future in football management. It’s absolute rubbish.
Well, panto time has well and truly arrived….
2 – 0. It just gets worse and worse.
Pleased tonight I don’t have BT. But on the bright side, maybe this will speed up the permanent manager appointment we need. Cannot let this carp conntinue. Oh it’s Arsenal, ok, we probably will. We can’t be pro-active like Spurs can we!
2-2, maybe another good 9 minutes?
This Europa League football is like a Marx Brothers film, chaos…
From what I’ve heard on the radio, our dead ball delivery in this game has been Hackney Marshes…
Kev, Talk Sport with Jermaine Pennant, same as me?
Everything about our game was dreadful imo, bar two good goals. ESR was the only player who i thought was consistent. Saka was good in flashes, not many mind you but the rest, especially the senior players were appalling.
Lucky, Lucky, Lucky Arsenal !
It’s bad enough that we are so poor, but a reputation as divers ?
Martinelli apart we are so gutless.
Sorry Rico ESM tried hard, you’re right.
And ironically, an ex Spurs player sends us through!
And I’d forgotten Martinelli Mike. Everything he does in an Arsenal shirt should embarrass so many others..
If you can fall on the floor like they do Rico, on camera……Then how could you embarrass them? Most of them just seem to get bored tracking back and sprinting…. So they just don’t bother.
True Mike, or turn their backs on a shot. Toothless..
I see Liverpool had made their first January signing…
Only four moments of class in the whole of Arsenal’s huffing and puffing stand out, Saka’s cross for Lacazette’s headed goal and Martinelli’s pinpoint pass for Saka’s strike.
I’m a little worried and upset that Freddie was proud of that performance.
We did not play a very good team tonight and could have been punished by a better side.
Hi Every one Still not convinced Freddie right person for the job and as for Arteta I would like him to go and coach some were on his own to see if he has what it takes to be a coach as I have never seen him coach on his own and lets face it Pep would make any assistant coach look good at the moment. as for Ancelotti may be give 1 year with the option of two years if he gets us in top 4 by then hope fully both Freddie and Arteta can get a bit more coaching practice in and why I say Ancelotti is because he has EPL experience.
Story of our season so far, Mike
A good result in the end, those who doubted the outcome are proved wrong. No not Arsenal in the Europa League, BORIS!! Looks set for comfortable majority. 😉
Morning all.
Geoff, if we do get someone like Ancelotti in for say, 2 seasons, he’s probably steady the ship but then his replacement will take another 2 seasons to get the squad he wants, and the team playing his style of football.
Can we go through that again?
I really hope we get a young and fresh manager and give him a few seasons to get things right but then, unlike with Emery, we do need to see some sort of forward planning.
Good morning all.
I think we need to look beyond Paddy and Arteta, as with Freddie they are too steeped in the Wenger style of play. We’ve tried to change by baby steps under Emery but are in danger of slipping back under Freddie. We need a new broom to sweep out the cobwebs. Revolution not evolution.
Hi Scott Don’t get wrong I will support who ever the club pick but I don’t see why we could not get Ancelotti in for say 2 years to steady the ship with Freddie as assistant and then let Freddie take over I know it would be great to get a young coach but with the way other sides are improving can you take the chance on some one like Freddie or Arteta that need to find their own feet the same as Thierry henry and Viera are doing now ?
Scott, I agree. Time and money is not what we have lots of. The club must have a plan so get the guy who is best equipped to deliver that plan and support him financially.
Morning all.
New post up now