Daily Bits and Bobs

Prove we’re not stupid Arsene! Alexis Sanchez throws his toys out of the pram..

Posted on by rico

Morning all.

The international break is now over and our boys should be back in London some time today, if they’re not back already. Just what frame of mind they’ll be in is anyone’s guess, especially those who were desperate to leave this sinking ship during the transfer window. Despite many of them doing well for their country, the performance at Anfield will remain firmly in their minds. Just as it is in ours. Arsene Wenger has a mammoth task on his hands to get this group of players motivated ahead of Saturdays fixture against Bournemouth. Eddie Howe will smell blood knowing we are fragile and vulnerable. Mind you, his side have had an even worse start to the season having lost all three matches.

Mesut Ozil has been on the end of some complimentary stuff whilst playing for Germany which hurts or perhaps frustrates, as much as the criticism does because seeing him play so well away from Arsenal poses so many questions. Certainly for Arsene Wenger.  He can do it, just not in this Arsenal team. Is that down to the personnel around him, the managers different tactics, personality etc etc, or is it just a simple case of he can’t be bothered when he’s in an Arsenal shirt? Only he knows I guess. He’s not the only one of course but when a player costs as much as he did, he’s bound to be an easy target. But all of these guys get paid enough, too much in many cases, certainly for what they give back on the football pitch.

It’s the same for Arsene Wenger, he earns a hideous amount of money each month, but for what? A squad he can’t motivate, players he simply refuses to play in their correct position and he can’t even brag about securing his top four trophy. Not this time. I wonder if he regrets leaving Sead Kolasinac on the bench at Anfield, the player who despite that, has been voted the August player of the month by Arsenal fans.

After the Bournemouth fixture, we head straight into the Europa League Group Stage fixtures. It’s a tournament we’ve not featured in for a long time and yesterday Wenger announced his squad. In it are a few fresh faces.

David Ospina, Petr Cech, Deyan Iliev, Matt Macey, Mathieu Debuchy, Per Mertesacker, Laurent Koscielny, Rob Holding, Nacho Monreal, Shkodran Mustafi, Calum Chambers, Hector Bellerin, Sead Kolasinac, Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere, Mesut Ozil, Granit Xhaka, Francis Coquelin, Mohamed Elneny, Alexis Sanchez, Alexandre Lacazette, Olivier Giroud, Theo Walcott, Danny Welbeck, Chuba Akpom, Ryan Huddart, Hugo Keto, Tolaji Bola, Chiori Johnson, Tafari Moore, Alex Iwobi, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Jeff Reine-Adelaide, Krystian Bielik, Charlie Gilmour, Marcus McGuane, Reiss Nelson, Ben Sheaf, Pelenda Da Silva, Aaron Eyoma, Edward Nketiah, Joseph Willock.

Bielik is recovering from shoulder surgery right now so he won’t be involved for a while but how how excited must they be feeling right now? I’d be thrilled to bits knowing there’s a chance of playing in this big competition and I’m certainly looking forward to watching them. Ok, it’s not the Champions League but it’s Europe and there’s a lot of big teams in this competition. More will join too as they drop out of the elite competition at the first hurdle and I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see one or two of the Premier League teams in there eventually. Still, they’d have picked up their big fat cheque for qualifying in the first place so if they’re anything like Arsenal FC, they’ll be happy with that.

But they’re not are they? Mourinho and Guardolia will be expected to go far, as will Conte otherwise they could be in for the chop if they don’t do well in the league and by that I mean winning it or certainly coming close as there’s little chance their respective owners will hand them another war chest in order to try again. Klopp and Poch, well I reckon they’ll be safe as long as they get top four again. So there’s five already challenging for four places which makes it even more tough for Wenger to get us back into the Champions League, unless by some miracle he manages to win the Europa Cup as Mourinho did.

The Frenchman has been quoted as suggesting that writing his Arsenal team out of the race for the league title is ‘stupid.’ He’s also suggested that people have made up their minds to quickly about his players, saying that they are all desperate to prove that the performance at Anfield was an ‘accident.’

And the players forget always very quickly how good you are, you know, much quicker than you think. And we have to continue to believe in our strength and as well not to forget. And our fans as well you know. To have a successful season we need our fans. And our fans can say. ‘OK we’re not good enough our squad is not good enough And think, OK, we have no chance this year. That will not work.

We want our fans to be behind us in this moment, as well. Even if we are very sorry for what we delivered. But to have a successful season we need to have that. And let’s not forget not one and a half months ago we won the community shield, we won the cup and In a very convincing way with the same players.

What we learnt from this defeat [Liverpool] is that we were not at all at the level that is expected from us. And that we have very quickly to show that was a complete accident. And I would say as well, that when we spoke about the transfer period before they played a part in that as well. A top level sportsman is a guy who keeps going where others give up and that’s what would be absolutely stupid, to say, today, that you give up for the rest of the championship.

The above is from an interview with beIN Sports.

Bless him eh, he lives in a different world….

Finally, not only has Alexis Sanchez been on the end of some scathing reports here in England, along with his club team-mates I hasten to add but in Chile, the press have been equally as cruel. Chile haven’t had a good two weeks and their WC qualification is hanging in the balance and according to newspaper reports, our man has hit back via social media:

You get tired of being criticized with reason and without reason, you get tired of wanting to be defeated, you get tired of saying to yourself ‘I’ll get up again’ after crying after a defeat, and you get tired of telling the world and people who are with you, that everything is going well.

And the worst, that no one ever realizes how that makes you feel… I have the No 7 of Chile on my back and it is a huge responsibility, that’s why I’m sorry that journalists and bad people criticize without knowing.

Bet he can’t wait to get back to London, the press here wouldn’t dream of being so cruel………..

rico

43 thoughts on “Prove we’re not stupid Arsene! Alexis Sanchez throws his toys out of the pram..”

  1. andrewh1313 says:

    Good report rico, morning. Thank goodness back to domestic action …. hang on a minute. Not quite so looking forwards to things as I’d hoped 6 weeks ago!

  5. Le Coq Monster says:

    Wenger saying it will cost £70M to replace Alexis !…………………hahahahaha……………………that will get you just one leg at todays prices !…………………..really has no idea does he !

  8. Obi says:

    Good post Rico.
    On your point of players performing much better for their country, that’s even more evident that AW tactics and selections needs to be more proactive; but on the other hand, some of these national teams are so stack that no one is a passenger. But with that said, ever notice how good Chambers is with England, perhaps is voaching?

    Hearing AW speak always makes me wonder, and he said much more. It really makes you wonder if he watches the games or sees what is going on around him.

    Regarding Alexis though, I am not surprise he’s been killed in Chile. He was very dreadful in both games. He would lose the ball and just stop. Against Paraguay, for the third Paraguay goal he lost the ball and just took a knee. I wonder if he brings the same form to Arsenal will Arsene gave the “mental strength” to bench him?

  11. rico says:

    Thanks Obi.

    I think it’s down to the way Wenger goes about things. Like signing Ozil but not the quality striker his kind of player craves to work with. Bergkamp had Wrighty and Henry plus others during his time. Who has Ozil had….

    I’d imagine Alexis is downhearted after not getting his move but as you say, bring that back with him, then plonk him on the bench.

  14. Lee says:

    http://tinyurl.com/y8gfosc8

    So Arsenal’s wage bill has increased as a % in the last 5 years more than any other PL team… compounds WATH’s post from yesterday! The money is definitely there it’s just being spent/allocated by totally the wrong person!

    Who can this mysterious person be? ?

  17. frednerk says:

    Afternoon Rico and All
    The old spiel from Arsene and Gazza
    has hit the tabloids.
    Gazza:
    Master stroke how we kept Ozil and Sanchez
    for this season.
    Arsene:
    It will cost 70 million to replace Sanchez.

    Can anybody really take that load of rubbish
    from two geezers on million’s a year to run
    our club.
    Arsene seems to have forgotten the man who
    he said he would build the team around.
    Why he sold Oxo but kept the other lot is a mystery
    to me?
    Carnage looks odds on regarding players contracts.

    Surely somethings going on behind the scenes,
    or is this the work of master planners

    Nurse.

  23. Le Coq Monster says:

    Lacazette, Alexis, Ozil and everyone with points to prove……………………….at least 10-0………………..the serious stuff starts now,…………….. we`ll be top by the end of the month…………….In Arsene and Kroenke we Trust !………………………………Doomers, the lot of you !………………………….what has the missus put in my tea ?

  24. rico says:

    Afternoon Fred, all.

    No wonder the ‘we’ve got no money’ is hard to believe. We’ve had it, just been reckless with it…

    I know who FC is… 😉

  31. Le Coq Monster says:

    Morning all……………see you down the gym, Kev ! 🙂

    Wenger press conference this morning ………same spill as Gazidis ?

  32. gnarleygeorge9 says:

    Evening rico1 & all,

    Haven’t watched The Arse since the Stoke debacle so haven’t been qualified to comment on form. But will try & watch the Bournemouth fixture.

    kev with your ‘knowledge’

    Is it practical to get a taxi to Stamford Bridge or is it a bottle neck on game day. I see Fulham Broadway is the closest tube, but I don’t want to be in a confined space with a heap of chavs. Can you advise the best way to get to Chav Ville for a tourist?

  33. potter says:

    I always went to Earls Court and walked it’s only about a mile ,by the time you have queued up at the ,broadway you are on the trauin and gone.Same at Highbury walk to Manor House always get a seat and lesser crowd.

  35. gnarleygeorge9 says:

    Geez,

    Just looking @ google maps, chav ville is not far from the old Kangaroo Valley, Earls Court. I can walk from our digs to the ground.

    Hope The Arse put in a decent shift v chavs, I’ve given up a lot to be there!!!

  39. allezkev says:

    Fulham Broadway on the tube GG, I think it’s the District Line.
    Otherwise a 22 bus takes you past the Bridge.
    Not worth getting a taxi as the traffic on match days is ridiculous.

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