Daily Bits and Bobs

Ozil out, Gabriel in. Spurz confirmed as our main rival…

Posted on by rico

Morning all.

Straight after tomorrows NLD, many players will jet off to play for their respective countries in what is a pointless two week break imo. Mesut Ozil has been left out of the German side as Joachim Low allows him two weeks of rest which is good, because he needs it. I hope Santi and Alexis get a break too but somehow I doubt they will. Gabriel has been called up by Brazil which is annoying as like Alexis, that means a lot of travelling.

Talking of our fiery centre-back, he soon learned what a NLD means after arriving at Arsenal nearly a year ago:

People talk about it a lot here and I was told about it when I first arrived. I always thought that the main rival was Chelsea but my team-mates told me that Tottenham is the main rival.

That makes the derby a lot harder.

He’s right of course, Tottenham are our our main rival, but not in the sense of winning the league as they never really finish a season being close to us but tomorrow’s match, as all against the neighbours, is about pride and bragging rights in North London. It’s a must win at all costs. It’ll be a tough game as Tottenham are a lot more organised under Pochettino and they’ll be hard to beat. But we must!

Jamie Carragher says we ‘must’ seize the opportunity to win the Premier League this season as other clubs such as Utd, Chelsea etc are poor. He also believes City could struggle to go the distance as they are still involved in the Champions League and the domestic cups. A win against Hull in the quarter finals of the Capital One Cup would see their fixtures pile up.

We on the other hand are out of the CO Cup and our Champions League campaign is hanging on by a thread. Should we end up third in the group, taking us into the Europa League, playing the squad players whilst concentrating on the league, has to be the way to go. Liverpool came very close to winning the league a couple of years ago. They had no distractions and they didn’t have a huge squad. Just one slip by Steven Gerrard and a Palace comeback from 3-0 down to earn a point, prevented them from lifting the big trophy.

That same season, we’d sat pretty at the top of the league for a long time but as the year turned, our form went out of the window and we suffered a few poor results including two hefty defeats. Embarrassing defeats at Stamford Bridge and Anfield. We were still in the Champions League and the FA Cup.

Domestically, we seem to have improved a lot when it comes to goals conceded. Much of that is down to having a top top keeper between the sticks but not only that, players have woken up to the idea of defending for the team and not just leaving it to the defenders and Coquelin has been darn good.

Perhaps Carragher is right, this could our best chance to win the league since the 2007/08 season but I don’t subscribe to his idea that other teams need to be poor for us to achieve that. After all, no-one suggested Chelsea only won the league last season because other teams were poor did they? And what about the numerous Utd titles won when Fergie had the referees in his pocket or again, other clubs were poor?

No, that was down to Mourinho and Fergie’s brilliance but I bet your bottom dollar, if by chance Mikel Arteta is lifting the Premier League trophy in May, it’ll only be because the other teams have been poor….

Have a good weekend guys and gals….

PS – Highbury House has a new Facebook page, so do pop over and join up…

rico

52 thoughts on “Ozil out, Gabriel in. Spurz confirmed as our main rival…”

  1. HenryB says:

    Good Post, Rico, 🙂

    It is definitely an even more pressured game against the Spuds than normal as we need to recover our momentum after what was a really good pasting on Wednesday.

    Not sure what Carragher’s motives are, although he is basically right, but any Liverpiddle player or ex-player being ‘considerate’ should be treated with suspicion. 🙂

  2. Mark Tuite says:

    Carrager redmapp and Owen just don’t want us to win it simple as that, sky is the Utd channel and bt is the Liverpool channel it’s a joke listening to the nonsense on it some days!

  3. Tai says:

    Morning Rico, All…

    Good post as usual.

    Now you’re talking. They will always find a reason to belittle Arsenal’s achievements…from trophyless run to no League win since 2004, all they do is try to put pressure on Arsene and Arsenal.

    But I’m not worried about them…I’m only worried about those Arsenal fans, who never see anything good in Wenger these days. One loss and it’s all moaning, curses and abusing Wenger for not signing an outfield player last summer window even when it’s glaring so far that Le Prof preferred team unity to a host of ‘world class’ stars.

  4. Tai says:

    Tomorrow’s game will be quite tough. Spurs are better than most give them credit for. Arsenal fans have been underrating this Spurs’ side, maybe because we’re five points ahead but they’re pretty good and they will prove that tomorrow.

    I just hope our players know what is coming. Injuries mean we play with a weal right channel and worse, no game changer from the bench. I think any manager knows now that Arsenal right side presents the easiest route to damage Arsenal. How well Debuchy has shrugged off rustiness and how much Campbell wants to prove he’ll remain a Gunner will be key.

    Otherwise, I still believe Ozil, Sanchez, Carzola and Giroud will do enough to scratch all three points provided Cech holds the defense firm.

  5. rico says:

    Morning Hb, Mark, Tai and all again.

    Funny how Carragher says this is the best time for us to win the league, but no mention of his Dippers, who with all the money they have spent over the last two years, should be up there too…

  6. Tai says:

    And I sign off for now Rico by telling you that you don’t need to get on-the-spot tackle to get a tackle-related injury. Players will tell you, if you bother to ask them, that most injuries come from accumulated tackles/challenges.

    Bellerin wasn’t stretchered off after his goal line-saving heroics at Swansea but every keen observer should relate his recent groin injury to that moment after clattering onto the post.

    This is in relation to your response to my comment overleaf on the incessant injuries to Theo, Ox, Gibbs, Wilshere.

    But again, I never expect you to agree with me however accurate I make my debate. You’ll only point out my comments in the few occasions I get any pre-match expectations wrong for obvious reasons.

  8. potter says:

    Tai we all have opinions on how injuries are received. Mine come from a couple of decades of playing and cross country running. I know from experience how quickly muscles harden following exercise and when I watch our substitutes before they come on ,I see them between the bench and the North Bank doing stretches for at least 15 minutes after half time and then sitting back down until Wenger makes his 70 minute changes. In that 10 minute interval things harden up. Theo’s injury was caused because he warmed up prior to the match , went back into the dressing room and then sat on the bench for 5 minutes and came straight on. Just my opinion , but if this happens during training also , I am not surprised that we keep getting muscle tears. I am not a physio but I know my body and I know that after warming up or in fact after any exercise was important for me to keep moving for at least five minutes to stop seizing up. I have no doubt that there will be people that do not agree with this and will bring forward facts to suggest otherwise but If you watch Olympic sprinters and middle distance runners following their races they always do a circuit at least of the track firstly to receive their accolades but also to keep moving.

  9. Joaquim Moreira says:

    It’s too early to think in win the league. We must be concern in doing the best every week and later, if we have in a good position think in the title. Only after January.
    The teams are very close on the table. One defeat or two defeats consequently, can fall down in the table 6 or more positions.
    Totts are a lively team, full of energy, confident and playing well.
    Very difficult tomorrow.

  11. rico says:

    Agree Jm. As much as it all looks promising right now, a couple of draws/defeats and we’ll soon slide down the table if other sides keep winning..

    Must get the result tomorrow and then after the break a few of the injured should return just in time for the festive period…

  15. Wavy says:

    Mind you we will win 2-1 with goals from Monreal and A Trialist (we’re a bit short of players at the moment and I hear they’ve found a likely lad playing at Hackney Downs and they’ve drafted him in) but it’s a secret!! Lol

  18. Joe says:

    Evening all in the house let’s hope for the man utd game start 3 goals in the first half let’s not repeat the Swansea or Watford games waiting till 2nd half to score 3 goals. ?

  22. Joe says:

    Chelsea player kicks a Stoke player in the face lots of blood looks like a broken nose no card Joe says rantings starting to work.

  26. Malaga gooner says:

    Evening Rico and the house

    Big game tomorrow
    We will see if this squad is good enough, biggest game of the season
    If we win it will be huge for a title push

  30. Joe says:

    Got to hand it to Chelsea fans 7 defeats and only 3 wins in the pl and the are still behind their manager.
    Ick I can’t believe I just typed that ?

  32. Micko says:

    rico, I wish you’d stop peeing on Tai’s chips, I love the way his pre-match expectations keep coming back to bite him on the arse, give him a break.

    Stamford bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down,
    Stamford bridge is falling down, poor ole Chelsea.

  34. Micko says:

    Scott, the size of Jose’s contract is the sticking point, 30 mill, they’re stuck with the knob and his verbal diarrhea for the rest of the season, you gotta love karma !

    Tai, hopefully Arsene will get across the importance of tommorrows game against our poor relations as he obviously forgot to bring it up against the Bavarians mid-week, we live in hope !

    Scum tomorrow, can only mean one thing, Wath on the warpath…….nite Gooners.

  35. potter says:

    Stamford bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down,
    Stamford bridge is falling down, poor ole Chelsea.

    Build it up in red and white , red and white , red and white
    Build it up in red and white , we hate Chelsea.

  36. scottfromoz says:

    Micko, yeah I know he’s on a long contract and a bloody big salary.
    It’s just brilliant viewing and karma has taken a hell of a bite out of their arse.
    Long may it continue 🙂

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