Daily Bits and Bobs

Northern Softies? Mkhi is no Sanchez, no one is…..

Posted on by rico

Morning all.

Another day, another game of football tonight but we might not see the same starting eleven to the one which breezed past Crystal Palace or the one which fought hard to secure a place in the League Cup Final. That’s because new signing Henrikh Mkhitaryan could make his debut and as said yesterday, I’m quite looking forward to watching him. He’s not Alexis, no one is Alexis bar the player himself so Mkhitaryan will bring us something different which is exactly what Arsene Wenger said when we signed him.

The player is different but will our style of football change? I doubt it but if Aubameyang does arrive before Wednesday, maybe. Our so called plan b could be gone though if Ollie departs which the media suggest he will. Then we’ll be relying on our pace and movement to break defences down. Pep Guardiola does just that at City so Wenger needs to try and do something similar. Yes I know, it’s a huge ask, perhaps an impossible one.

Swansea might be sitting bottom in the League but their defeat of Liverpool just a few days ago should be a lesson to Arsene Wenger and his players. They can’t just turn up and expect to win like it appears they have done on many occasion before now. The new Swansea manager, Carlos Carvalhal has lost just one game since his arrival a few weeks ago.

Olivier Giroud is back fit but I doubt he’ll feature if he’s set to be sold but Danny Welbeck misses out through injury.

We need the points, badly.

Does the aftermath of the injury to Leroy Sane cheese you off? It sure does me considering the things said after Abou Diaby, Aaron Ramsey and Eduardo all suffered injuries which were far more serious at the time than the City players is. Mane might miss a month, perhaps a tad longer but both of our players were ruled out for yonks. Eduardo was never the same player again and Ramsey, well it took him ages to get back to playing regularly after suffering a few setbacks. Abou Diaby was the butt of all the ‘sick-note’ jokes going.

May 2006, Arsenal travelled up north to face Sunderland. Never a particularly nice place to go but that day was especially bad for Adou Diaby thanks to Dan Smith. A two footed lunge into the Frenchman’s ankle caused it to fracture and dislocate. His season was over as was the chance of facing Barcelona in the Champions League Final. That injury occurred just four months after he signed for us. Several operations and eight months of recuperation followed but he never truly recovered.

In February 2008, we were five points clear at the top of the Premier League and looking good for our first title since 2004. However, when Eduardo da Silva had his tibia and fibula fractured by Martin Taylor of Birmingham City. What the Arsenal players witnessed that day not only disturbed them in that particular game but looking back, for the remainder of the season. What happened to Eduardo, pretty much finished his days in English football and we lost our best poacher striker since Wrighty.

No replays were shown because the injury was so bad.

In 2010, Aaron Ramsey’s right leg was broken in two places after a bad tackle by Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross during a nasty game at the Britannia Stadium against Stoke. Nine months later he returned to the game but needed loan moves to Nottingham Forest and Cardiff to gain match fitness. It took a long time for him to regain his confidence and poor performances led to him being on the end of a lot of stick from the stands. His 2013-14 season remains his best yet in an Arsenal shirt.

Arsene Wenger made his protests at the time of all three bad tackles but his complaints fell on deaf ears. Instead, we were labelled southern softies, we didn’t like it tough, nor did we like it when the opposition got stuck in, or in our faces. We were weak, spineless and many other things. Pulls, Big Sam, Hughes, Moyes, Pardew and many other managers would send their players out to rough us up, knowing they had a good chance of getting a result of some kind from it and the media lapped it up.

Now though it’s happened to Leroy Mane and Pep Guardiola is up in arms. He remonstrated with the referee after the game and even the German camp have reacted to their players injury. Again though, the media lap it up but in a different way. City are the in team and Pep is the master of the game. Tackles like that aren’t supposed to happen.

Will City be labelled northern softies? Somehow I very much doubt it….

rico

74 thoughts on “Northern Softies? Mkhi is no Sanchez, no one is…..”

  1. Goonster says:

    Abou’s injury was the worst for me. This was a guy everyone dubbed the new veira heck i ‘ll even stick out my neck and say he could have been better than paddy V at his prime. Diaby had it all. Quick feet, an unbelievable first touch, an eye for a pass and a good shot on him. He was my favorite player after DB10 pires RVP and tr7. Shame he never fulfilled his destiny. Afternoon Rico any news on auba?? Am getting all worked up again. God help me.

  2. rico says:

    Afternoon Goonster and all.

    No update re Auba on Sky Sports. German transfer window shuts at 5pm tomorrow so just have to hope both Dortmund and Chelsea pull their fingers out..

    Diaby and Eduardo are the ones who really suffered imo, at least Ramsey still has a career at the top..

  3. Kk says:

    Afternoon rico ando all..
    You mean leroy sane I suppose. .lol..
    To be honest all the so called pundits I heard condemned the incidence as malicious and deserving straight red..

    His manager warnock said his player was unprofessional getting a second yelow after Sane challenge and perhaps he wanted to miss the next game

    That was more assault than a challenge for me ..really looked deliberate and nasty.

    Have we signed Auba yet?

  4. Goonster says:

    I just hope we pull this out of the fire guys cause time is running out. Get auba done already. Lord God in heaven even the totts have signed a player ffs. This is getting ridiculous.

  7. lekan gunner says:

    truly my mind went to those players that u mentioned, of course, i hope they break more citee legs(just kidding) so they know what wenger has been going thru , imagine three players legs broken in the same club…

  8. Goonster says:

    Thanks kk just saw that on Twitter too. Lol even sky sports is tracking his flight ??.This is what football has become. Good Lord.

  12. Goonster says:

    Twitter reporting auba has been spotted at London colney. Don’t know how credible this is but omg I can’t contain myself again. Think I might shit myself. God help me. Am so excited I could drive my car under a truck.

  13. Goonster says:

    Rico if we get auba and still keep ollie that ‘ll be awesome. We really need 3 strikers to compete on all fronts next year. Am so excited. Raul and sven ‘ll be very busy in the summer. So many players to let go and new ones to bring in. Wowie wow wow? good time to be a gooner people. COYGS

  15. Goonster says:

    Geez my mind is swarming with so many formations, permutations etc. God in heaven I haven’t been this excited since I found out I shagged dolly parton’s niece in Nashville 3 years ago. Come on you fucking gooners. We are on our way back people. Aubameyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang. Come on.

  20. Goonster says:

    I can’t kev I ve gone overboard. This is huge guys. I won’t sleep tonight. God I need me a cold one.

  21. rico says:

    Don’t get too excited Goonster, if Dortmund don’t sign a striker, they can still pull the plug on this deal. – Sky Sports.

  22. Goonster says:

    It’s too late Rico. He’s already having his medical. I think Dortmund already has modeste lined up as his replacement. He’s ours Rico. Aubameyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang

  24. Rick says:

    Afternoon Rico and the House
    Good post Rico but I think you can add Santi and Jack to the list of players who have sufferd.

    It looks like it could be a good day allround .
    1.We get Aubu
    2 .We get a good result tonight.
    3 Our youth team are showing not only the depth of squad we have but just how good they are becoming.

    Sat beat Norwich and are away to Middlesborough in the Youth cup on Friday.
    This morning they have thrashed W/Ham 5-1 away with just 4 of Sat team playing
    Someone is getting things right

  25. rico says:

    Silly me Kk… lol

    Afternoon Rick, you’re right, certainly about Jack. Did Santi’s injury start with a bad tackle though, I’d forgotten..

  26. Andrew Halling says:

    Ludugorets I think rico.

    Read we are 42 million in Credit over the Summer and Jan transfers windows (Chamberlain, Walcott, Coq etc). So we have done a swop for a lesser player, may spend 55m and sell Giroud for say 25m, and come out with a net profit of 12 million. Press will say BIG SPENDING Arsenal. That Arsene Wenger must be a genius, that’s why Owners love him!

  30. Rick says:

    Rico I think Andrew is right .
    It was studs down the back of the ankle (I think)
    I think we were winning 6-0 at the time a really stupid tackle.
    I see Mcguane 3 year contract with a 2 year option and a buy out clause of
    25 million Euros
    Wnder how much we got

  33. Le Coq Monster says:

    Evening all and thank you Rico.

    Lucky for CFG that they can replace Leroy Mane with Leroy Sane…………or even Leroy Mahrez !
    😆

    Love this video of PEA arriving at London Colney…………………….the black Mercedes van is a dead ringer for him !…………………..maybe the reporter has X-Ray vision to see inside the van !.
    🙂

    http://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/teams/arsenal/11229225/aubameyang-arrives-at-arsenal

    Agree with Goonster……….Diaby was going to be a top top player…………. shame about them all !

  34. Le Coq Monster says:

    Giroud is a bargain at £18M !……………………………….although I like Danny Boy for workrate and pace, he is goal blind and needs a braille ball……….rather he went instead, but another “sicky” we have, so hard to sell !

  40. Le Coq Monster says:

    Lets mash The Spuds !…………………………………….reminds me of this cracker !……….

  50. Kk says:

    The conditions are atrocious, but it’s not an excuse for poor defending and lack of organisation..we could have been 3 nill down by the 1st half an hour. .
    Brilliant vision by ozil to find nacho who didn’t disappoint with excellent finish. .
    He is on the roll. .
    Shame we couldn’t hang on for more than 2 minutes. .
    Xhaka and iowbe have been awful so far..
    At least Ramsey and elneny prevented 2 certain goals with perfect interceptions.
    Hector is bellend. .
    Dippers 2 nill up

  60. Wavy says:

    Game set and match…….lost!

    Forget about may judge me in January. I have and expect plenty more have too. Tomorrow morning he’d be clearing his desk and leaving a note for Carlos Ancelotti wishing him good luck!

  61. Kk says:

    All so well with ze mental strength and ze togezerness. ..
    I personally blame sanchez , John Terry and George Bush. .in that order.

  63. Joaquim Moreira says:

    So awful!
    The same Arsenal with a worst team.
    Without Alexis we are a normal team for fight for not be down.
    Myntarian is another bluff! I never like him. He is a not a player for a team.
    The same rule: Who does not defend as a team that wants to win something, want to win what?
    When Arsenal call me?

  65. Kk says:

    Micko, the arsenal supporters are a bunch of ungrateful spoilt brats..
    With all the cash in the bank, state of the art stadium in London and a manager who speaks 4 languages, with a degree in economics. .they have it all..

    Nacho gone from hero to zero. .
    O well…

    rubbish midfield, impotent attack and defence like a seive. .
    The whole thing is a circus ..

    I have to say I am not really fussed about this top 4 finish .or champions league attracting best players shit. .give me the Ayews and the clucas of this world any day with a different manager and I’ll enjoy arsenal again..

    Tipy tapy square passes , loose the ball, counter attack, panic defending, concede . .this is our brand of football now..

  66. micko says:

    Kk, like so many HHer’s we’re all getting so immune to it now, it’s gone well beyond laughable……….nite Gooners.

  67. allezkev says:

    Apparently Steve Bould wanted to take some of the players for extra defensive training recently but Wenger and Primorac wouldn’t allow it. Why?

    Arsenal have now conceded more goals than Leicester, Burnley, Brighton and even West Brom!
    I would have imagined that extra defensive training is essential.

  69. Lee says:

    ‘There is no rational explanation for how we played’

    Err because you’re a clueless washed up manager? Try that for starters you useless idiot!

    He surely cannot last longer than the summer, can he??

  70. Kel says:

    After that last night I honestly couldn’t even care now about Aubameyang etc… the buzz of that has long gone now.

    it’s unbelievable how Wenger is still in a job..

    3 wins in the last 11 PL games…

  71. rico says:

    Morning all.

    If Wenger is still Manager next season, I’ll eat my hat. There’s no way imo would a player as good as Aubameyang join this Arsenal circus…

  72. Adam says:

    Morning Rico and all. As far as the undervalued fans go Wenger is killing the club. Game by game he shows everybody that can be bothered to watch any more that he is getting out- thought and outplayed by managers and teams that should be beaten by Arsenal. There will always be the odd hiccup but, these days, that is Arsenal actually winning rather than the other way round. The transfer window has been a welcome distraction for him but last night is the reality of his managership now. It wasn’t as if we got beaten by a lucky shot or deflection. We were absolute dross, everywhere and nobody emerged with any credit whatsoever. I reckon that was one of the worst defensive displays ever witnessed in the PL. it was beyond parody.
    Yet still he plods on. Blaming players and holding his hands up in a ‘Sacre Bleu’ fashion At the horror of it all. Yet he still won’t buy proper defenders and refuses to allow Bould to coach defence.
    Whatever he has done in the past, that goodwill has dried up now and if there is a single argument why he should still be there I simply cannot see it. Where is your pride Wenger? Last night Arsenal were a disgrace to the name. There is absolutely no future with Arsene Wenger.

Leave your comment.

Discover more from Highbury House

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

Continue reading