Morning all.
Not the best way to go into the international break, in fact it’s probably the worst after losing to that shower of…..
The afternoon clearly didn’t start too well when both Per Mertesacker and Tomas Rosicky were sent home from the squad due to sickness. Thomas Vermaelen stepped in for the big German and and Mathieu Flamini replaced Tomas Rosicky.
Mikel Arteta and Serge Gnabry were also feeling under the weather, the Spaniard did start, but the young German was on the bench.
During the first half, the home side had the better possession but until their goal, they didn’t really look like scoring. In fact Wojciech Szczesny was called into action just once and that was from a Rooney shot which had taken a deflection.
They did however break the deadlock on the 27th minute.
Vermaelen headed a cross from Rooney away for a corner, one which was whipped in for van Pursie to head home. Gibbs tried to get his head in the way on the goal-line but to no avail.
Yes, Mertesacker would have probably cleared that one, but he wasn’t playing…..
We couldn’t get our passing going at all in the first half, too many times a pass found a man in red, we seriously looked jaded and totally off our game. Maybe the Dortmund game had taken it’s toll, maybe the sickness bug was in a few other players, it certainly looked that way.
Giroud had a chance just after the half an our mark, but his header was weak and over the bar…..
Szczesny was battered into by Phil Jones as the pair went for a corner – the Manchester United man looked interested in only one thing and that wasn’t the ball. For a few moments it looked like our goalkeeper had been knocked out cold but he was soon talking and was able to continue. Jones was booked and rightly so!
Nemanja Vidic and David de Gea bumped into each other just before the break and the former went off for treatment.
That was pretty much it for the first half, one which saw Oliver book Sagna and Flamini.
Half time came and went….
Vidic didn’t reappear and Tom Cleverley replaced him.
We were a little better in the second half and had a few half chances. Ramsey had a shot blocked, Vermaelen blasted over from a free-kick and Mesut Ozil shot into the sidenetting when maybe finding a team-mate would have been a better option. The same could be said about Vermaelen’s free kick.
Rooney nearly made it 2-0 but after some clever work on the ball, but he dragged his shot wide of the post.
As the hour mark came, Flamini was replaced by Jack Wilshere and he looked good. Sagna whipped in what has to be said, the perfect cross and all it needed was a touch but there was no-one able to get that little touch.
Gnabry came on in place of Mikel Arteta with just seven minutes to go and he too looked good. In hindsight maybe Arsene Wenger would have been better to have started with him to give us more width and pace down the right but hindsight is a wonderful thing. However, both Santi Cazorla and Mesut Ozil had stinkers, he had nothing to lose by bringing the young German on a lot sooner. He’s young, unafraid and seldom hesitates to run at defenders, something our more experienced players didn’t do enough of yesterday.
Just before the end, Sagna fired another fabulous cross but the big lazy lump Danish substitute couldn’t manage to get any part of his body on the end of it. Nik had a chance, a good chance but he blew it!
Why? Because he isn’t and never has been good enough to play for Arsenal and why he is even on the bench, I don’t know. We have younger players in Akpom and Afobe who are desperate to play in our first team. Well maybe it’s time they were given their chance because I sure as heck don’t want to see Bendtner in an Arsenal shirt again!!
That was only our second defeat of the season but it feels worse… Much worse.
On another day, we would have won that game but a culmination of illness, injuries and a lack of pace and width played it’s part in our defeat…
If’s and but’s maybe, but neither win football matches – width, pace and better performances do.
As said earlier, Dortmund may have taken a lot out of the players, as could illness, so let’s not batter the players too much..
What I would say though, having just two or three better players in the squad would make a huge difference, especially a player who can come on and score a goal……….
The next two weeks will be long and miserable so if anyone feels like writing a post to brighten the day, please just email me…
That’s it for another day…..
Morning Rico
A very good and brave Post in the circumstances and accurate too.
I am re-posting a comment I made earlier as I am having some problems with Word Press.
How was that for a disappointing performance?
Somehow it seemed to be a case of rabbits caught in the headlights for our guys. Only in the second half did we show any form.
Playing Arteta and Flambo together was understandable, given our past performances and of course the sickness that struck Per was bad luck, but somehow the team looked slow, unbalanced and lacked confidence and allowed Manure to attack at will.
Try as he might Giro just was not at the races, and Bendy is a waste of space.
That’s football I guess. 🙁
Adam, did we really need to wait until now to know how crap Bendy is and to know he should be nowhere near the 1st team squad…..!
Akpom even at a young age will give far more effort than that twat and the lad would bleed for the shirt…! Not something you’d say about the worlds greatest striker is it…!
Morning All…
Morning Rico, great post.
Wenger reckons we was nervous.
Why???
We weren’t nervous in Dortmund!!!
Similar circumstances, playing against a well motivated opponent in a vociferous atmosphere…
I sense hogwash from Arsene…
Wath, I agree, as soon as Bendtner came on I felt that we were down to 10 men.
Akpom is a good call.
Morning Hb, thanks..
I can forgive the players who play well week in week out, I get they can have an off day and I still believe some of those who played were poorly. Others were clearly knackered…
Bendtner though, as Wath said earlier, he needs to be shipped out of our club asap, he is hopeless and I’d sooner see Monreal play up front than him!
Well done rico in trying circumstances. I think though that if Jones had really meant to hurt Shez, the other Arsenal players would have reacted more. As for Bendtner, I feel he is there in the hope that AW’s failure to sign a striker is glossed over. Backfiring though big time.. If he had just taken a chance and flung himself at the cross, he could have been our hero, at least for a couple of weeks! Sagna deserved better.
Morning Kev, thanks.
I can’t see why we’d be nervous either, as someone said yesterday, the Mancs are crap barring the two strikers and possibly Valencia..
Morning all. Agreed Wath. The paucity of strikers is nipping at Arsene’s backside now. A couple of light reflections. Yes, we weren’t great but neither were they. The conundrum of accommodating Ozil and Santi is perhaps a nice problem to have but Wenger must solve it. Bendtner, especially after his latest rather pathetic outburst should be consigned to the putrid and toxic bin of no-hopers.
Nil desperandum though. This is a tiny footnote to what could be a great season IF Wenger employs our financial muscle in January.
Thanks Ah.
That’s what happens when AW leaves things until the last minute – he should have made a decision on Suarez, walked away and signed another…
And all done in July…
Now the whole world will know just how desperate we need a striker in Jan, that’s if they didn’t know already…
Morning all,
Is Cazorla still coming to terms with this season after his long lay off or is it second season syndrome?
January will be massive Adam, could make or break our season.
AW needs to declare a few injuries to France, England, Spain and Germany…
Taking a positive from the game, I thought ‘our’ trialist had an excellent game! He ran everywhere, chased down the players with the ball, created a few chances for team mates and nearly scored!
Wayne the wannabe Londoner had an excellent game. If, as I believe Wenger is going to bid for him in January then he presented himself in a very good light.
Vayne would have taken the chance that Bentboy gave up on, he only had to keep on going and the ball would have bounced off his ego and into the net, but he didn’t, he checked out and the chance, a bit like his life at present, passed him by!
I’m with you Rico, Afobe, Akpom even sick note Sanogo, when fully fit should be given a chance. The only chance Bendy should be given is no chance!
We need another striker, desperately. I would like to see another marquee signing, but any player who knows how to create and score goals would do me, and the team!
Can I just admit to a certain feeling of deja vu when Van Persie left, because we had seen it all before with Cesc and others and I thought that he was an Arsenal man at heart, like Cesc, and I could understand his ‘professional’ desire to win a trophy as he was not getting any younger, although his choice of Manure was lamentable.
His antics after scoring off his shoulder yesterday made him look cheap, mean and a worthless shit.
And made me feel a fool for giving him the benefit of the doubt about his respect and affection for Arsenal. Bastard!
Morning all.
Great post Rico….very fair.
Pace and width…….one f the main reasons we lost.
Our midfield had no teeth today…illness taking it’s toll?
Either way, if we can get 10-12 points in our next 5 games, which is achievable, and bring in a striker come January, we can go on with the job, i believe.
Well said HenryB, feel exactly the same.
It’s not all that bad, old trafford is not an easy place to get a result. Aslong as we turn them over at home it will even itself out.
We are still 4, 5, 6 points ahead of our main rivals after a defeat, the team have done the hard work in previous games for us to be in this position. Now we have the international break, I know it’s boring but players will get a much needed break and when they come back we should have more players back fit and ready with 4 winable pl games coming up.
Let him celebrate.
That win will be his season highlight.
Like I said yesterday, we have too many similar players. We’ve lost our element of pace with no Ox and Walcott so teams can close down the space as no one will get in behind.
No risk of a counter so teams can push higher up the pitch.
Southampton at home, next, has to be our main focus now…
ManUre are not a great side, they rose to the occasion, but they won’t win the EPL as they’ll drop more silly points than Arsenal…
Walcott and Podolski will be back when the Saints arrive.
We are still in a great position…
That’s how I am starting to think Wavy, anyone who knows where the goal is would be a very welcome addition. I’d love Rooney, but right now, Holt would be a better option than the Dane… 😉
Bradster – I’m not personally going to be too critical about yesterday, other than we lacked pace and width, especially in the first half and injuries have played their part their.
Santi and Ozil had stinkers, but they are usually so good so for me it wouldn’t be fair to get on Santi’s back too much…
Bendtner though, now he makes me livid… All the work was done and it couldn’t have been easier for him to throw his head at Sagna’s cross…
Thanks Scott….
Amen to that Hb.
Agree Kev, and Southampton won’t be a pushover, best defence in the PL I think…
Reports are suggesting Merts has not been released to play for Germany as he is too poorly to travel.
Good in some ways, just hope he recovers well and it’s nothing serious.
A very good read as always…
I agree that Akpom deserves a chance. It seems AW does not give certain players the chance they deserve when they are not bought for £500k from a foreign academy. 😉
Akpom is better than Hoffman, Weiser and J.Green of BVB and BM and they all get chances.
I am one of AW’s staunchest defenders but I am not a big fun of him playing his best team against the best teams when it has never worked even during the invincible years imho.
He should be nbrave enough to select and drop players as fit…
Unfortunately, I see Akpom turning out to be the same as Afobe, Frimpong, Muamba etc.
Morning btw fellow HHers…
Well we may not like seeing that piece of shite celebrate when he scores against us but l for one have no sympathies for Arsene or the club..
We are not the only club that likes money….ask yourself would SAF ever sell Rooney to arsenal?…SAF gave us Sylvestre a player that weakened our squad!….that’s what you do to your fucking rival not give them your best player!….lol…
Every time he scores against us l hope it makes Arsene squirm….l would never forgive selling our best player to our fiercest rival!…
If Dortmund that is not as financially solvent as our club can tell lewandowski to fuck off we’re not selling you to our fiercest rivals…why can’t arsenal do the same …?..
Do you honestly think Liverpool will give us Suarez?..
got to agree with the majority on Bendass, slings off regularly at the club, regardless of Wenger praise he is shit, end of. It sends a very bad PR message to those in the lower ranks waiting their chance as well. Very poorly handled this. so disappointed we never took advantage of them yesterday.
Thanks Ts.
AW must be a fool if he can’t see how poor Bendtner is. He’s an embarrassment to all things Arsenal are on the pitch imho..
The only good thing about yesterday was that we saw how average Utd are, we had an off day, they have been that bad since the start and pundits are saying that was their best performance all season. They won’t win the league.
Nice post Rico, I agree, but it’s not all doom and gloom. We are still top going into this interlull, I will always take that. Saints will prove anther hard game though, they are flying!
“I believe for Nicklas, the most important thing for him is to stay fit. As for the rest, he has the talent.
“It is important that he is now consistently present and works hard physically. He has top top qualities.”…. yeah right, another blooper
I totally agree Lewis re not being all doom and gloom.
The result does not piss me off as much as the sequence of subs in made yesterday in my view.
I think the last team to actually beat us was S04 and BM and possibly Chelsea in 2007; apart from that we have always lost or AW has ensured we lost against the bigger teams i.e yANITED;
Selecting Grimandi, Cygan and Stepanovs (debut) a few years ago at Old trafford was a joke imho..
tsgh – i agree mate i just worry here is yet another golden opportunity for Wenger that might once again be passed over
AW is wishing B-something can replicate his international form with us; or even his pre 2007 form, but there are some times when there is too much bad blood between functions. This is one example…
B-23 will struggle playing at home knowing he is not wanted…
Wenger must say he believes in the guy.
Whether to push his cause to be sold or back his confidence if plying, there is very little else he can do right now.
after his recent outburst he should not be allowed near another first team game – the fact he is even required speaks volumes for our summer transfer organisation
Thanks Lewis, we are that and that’s the positive. I just hate losing to that shower of…. and I hate Rvp!
And them being so so average, makes it a more bitter pill to swallow to lose…
he had him sold Scott – and then canned the deals why? We know why right? How are you mate?
don’t see what all the RVP fuss is about again. This is his second year there, he is a EPL champion and scored a vital goal. He owes Wenger nothing and all Wenger dribble about his Arsenal feelings are exactly that. Drop Wenger wage to those of most EPL managers and see how long he’s there for. Make the money while you can. We are the true fans, not these players.
He could leave him with the reserves Scott, he won’t sell for much anyway, he’s crap. And in any case, he’s free in the summer, the only chance he’ll have to find a club imho…
Jogi Low has just said Ozil and Merts won’t travel yet for internationals as they are ill.
The daft thing AW did was talk about RvP being an Arsenal man before the game, he isn’t. Forget him.
Just saying he needs to support all players wearing the badge guys.
Yes, we all agree both parties are best separated, but that can not happen for a few months.
I hope they don’t travel at all Lewis…
Agree Rico, all the hostility proves how much we know we miss him in truth. Were would we be this season or last with his 30 goals. Bad event for us in every way but its over.
Goods news Lewis! Ozil need a break and then put back in his rightful role and standing out on the right wing is not it.
I think Bendtner’s latest comments have caused everyone to use him as a scape goat. It really wasn’t his fault we lost, he did alright on the left and Giroud put in as much effort as Bendtner did to those crosses.
Giroud had a stinker again at old trafford, not his favourite place obviously either
Or drop the one’s who shouldn’t be wearing it in the first place Scott. Man up Arsene!
Morning all.
Take a deep breathe and chill.
In 2 weeks time, everything will be sensible and not so emotional as now.
As I said, I am not holding my breathe and take it as it comes – being there done that, past that emotional roller-coaster ride – and just hope that 2007/08 will repeat itself but with a happy ending as our strong finishes for the past 2 seasons demonstrated that we will finish strongly this season as well.
Past is just water flowing beneath the bridge,
Present is for living.
Why, tomorrow will come and just another day.
But I can forgive Giroud – his performances this season have been crucial to us, Nik however, gives us nothing every time he plays… imho
Hi Rico, good read. i will not start Flamini and Arteta in a PL game, but maybe CL. We have to play to our strengths, which is either of the afore-mentioned with Rambo. Then Santi, MO and Gnabry/Whilshire, with OG in front. Also missed BFG. Things will change when Theo returns, really missed his pace. Ozil will have a field day when Theo plays. have faith guys. COYG’s.
yes i understand Rico – United, they certainly raise the emotion levels hey? ha! Oh well… Southampton to come next. Lets see what happens then. Hopefully Pod and Theo will be back and Ozil will tear em apart with assists for both!!
No Merlin, no!
If fans want to express their feelings, they can do it here, regardless of what those feelings are! That’s why blogs like this are around.
Tomorrow might be another day, but today is today….
Thanks Bfl – I can see why AW started with them both as he didn’t want to lose but yesterday, just one shoulder and NB was the difference….
They should all be back Oz, fingers crossed no additions to the injury list after this break…
they did have a stonewall penalty ignored as well Rico or do we disagree on that? 🙂
when i say stonewall, remember where we were playing and the stick we gave the ref before the game
I’ve seen those given Oz and no ref hessitates when it’s against us. We were also lucky Rooney missed that one on one.
Did they Oz – you sure?? 😉
Rico, Rico … when I expressed my opinion too strongly and got emotional and calling Adam’s favourite uncle “hypocritical snake-oil salesman” … I got into a fight with Adam. … hence I am toning down my emotional outbursts at your “home” here.
You know how I am when I got into the deep end and blue funk .. and simply lashed at Arsene Wenger, Gazidis, PHW and Co 😀
Anyway, here is some tid-bits to brighten your day on the mysterious “dealings” of Arsene Wenger from this 2011 book I am currently reading:
Kuper: “The Football Men”:
In 2004 Arsene Wenger was looking for a defensive midfielder who could one day replace Patrick Vieira.
The manager wanted a runner. So he ordered a search through modern football’s computerised databases for the DCM who covered most ground per match. The search produced an obscure name: Mathieu Flamini, a rookie at Olympique Marseille, was covering 14 kilometres on average in the handful of professional matches he had played.
He didn’t even have a professional contract yet. Wenger went to watch Flamini, saw that he could play football and signed him.
Flamini spent four years mostly in the Arsenal first team, and in his last season ran more kilometres per game than anyone else in the Premier league. He then refused to renew his contract, and joined Milan.
The story sums up Wenger’s genius in evaluating footballers – and his lack of funds to keep them. …
Caring about data, Wenger pioneered the use of stats to assess players. Over 20 years ago at Monaco he worked with a computer program called “Top Score” developed by a friend. It assigned points for any act a player performed on the pitch.
“Most players who got high scores went on to have successful careers,” said Wenger. Few managers rely so much on statistics.
Wenger got rid of Gilberto Silva when the data showed that the Brazilian was taking a split second longer to move the ball on than he had the season before. He often uses stats to test a hunch he already has about a player. Perhaps, he half jokes, he doesn’t have enough confidence in his own judgement.
…………………………………………………………….
Psst .. I am muddling over a project called “Why we can win the 2013/14 title” using stats to build up my case……lol.
When it is ready, I will send to you Rico.
Cheers all, I am off for the day watching NFL replays to drown my sorrows.
i think the refs have done ok by us this season IMO – we’d had our share of ‘fortunate’ calls.
“Arsenal are a good team, we knew we had to win today at all costs and I think it’s the toughest team we’ve played against and to break down,” Rooney told reporters.
“In the last few years Arsenal have tended to fade towards the end of the season and they haven’t really been right in there challenging for the title.
“But this season you’re seeing a different team and a different mentality.” Rooney said.
and on those positive notes i am off to bed – night all!
Just one rico will suffice thanks Merlin…
Hope that’s Rooney telling AW to bid for him Oz 😉
Hmm, sounds to me like Rooney drinks Green tea… 😉
Sickness???
Correct me if I’m wrong but, is that not the second time this season that ‘illness’ has struck the squad just before an important game. The first time would seem to be unfortunate, a second time would seem to be a strange co-incidence, if there is a third time it would be seriously suspicious! Have we a poisoner in the ranks?? Get, dig up Poirot, we need an investigation.
The biggest frustration is that once again we go up there with a weakened side when they are there for the taking. That game had nil – nil all over it apart from a mistimed header off the shoulder. Mancs are a slightly upgraded version of Everton under Moyse relying on effort, long balls and set peices. And to be honest, as much as it hurts, if we were to win 2 or the 3 games, it has worked out the best way it could of for us.
🙂 Kev.
Night Oz…
Apparently both Ozil and BFG are not joining the German squad, due to a virus…
Excellent, they get a well needed rest..
Surely, there cannot be any truth, in the ridiculous rumour that Wenger is planning to bid £15 million for Demba Ba in January…?!!!
Rooney saying all the right things about Arsenal. Is he coming to us? I believe his Mrs likes the big posh London stores, she may well be our greatest asset in turning his head!
AW, buy Rooney asap. Better than gnasher Suarez and despite everything he’s more reliable too!
🙂 Wavy, but with the news on Ozil and Merts, it’s seems like just bad luck…
And batter them at The Emirates Bj..
Kev, I sure hope that’s rubbish, £15 m for Torres maybe….
Tbh Rico, I’m not interested in any Chavvy cast-offs…
Arsenal should be bigger than that…
What do you know about Jay Rodriguez of Southampton?
Not one that I know much about Rico?
But we do well with signings from the Saints…
With Walcott and Podolski due to return after the Interlull, and Oxlade-Chamberlain not too far behind, hopefully, we won’t have to suffer the embarrassment of having Nicklaus Bendtner in the squad anymore!
I imagine, that he knows he’s ‘on his bike’ this January and that Wenger has lined up a striker to make his presence at Arsenal, no longer necessary, thank God…
I read an article that Suarez and his agent forgot that he signed a new contract in 2012 and took out the release clause in the previous contract.
That agent should surely be fired for not having a copy and not going through the contract again.
Actually, I am still in shock, not over Arsenal, but of the demise of the Hairy Biker…
I sense that Rico is beside herself…
Be strong Rico, be strong… 😉
I know little about him either Kev, and get where you are coming from re their cast offs…
Ha ha re the Hairy Biker too, wasn’t he awful…
I read that too in the newspapers here Bradster, huge huge goof…
Off for a while….
That hairy biker bloke was wearing a kilt like mine too.
I think that you have a wicked sporran hanging down your front Adam…
Aye Kev. ‘Tis the sporran of the McAdam clan seen on the field of Culloden.
Evening….
Good time to nip off and eat then…
All quiet.
Nobody at home?
I am home Adam 😛
Not any more though…
Night Adam and all…
Berkamp for Life: Good comment.
I agree re MA08 and Flamini should NOT be on pitch together except maybe away game in CL.
We lack fluidity when they are on the pitch together and lose offensive thrust.
Sorry I missed you Rico.
Sanogo should’ve been used instead of Bendner!
Injured isn’t he ?
Morning all.
Sanogo is injured..
Morning Rico,
I see were keep on Pedro in the rumours today.
Morning bradster, haven’t seen the Pedro ones…
New post up..
Pretty much spot on… illness and fitness cost us that … and the ref was only too ready to please the home crowd…..
problem when vermalean plays is a complete disruption to the back four…he plays left that moves Kozza to the right….. therefore the complete back four is disjointed……. its like a new back four.. yes I would have played Gnabry from the start until he was out of steam then brought in rRamsey…. bloke needs a break…..