Afternoon guys.
So the rumours which suggested both Xhaka and Pepe missed international playing time through injury were just that, rumours. Unfounded ones too as Arsenal have today confirmed that no injuries have been reported by any of our players as they returned to training. Good. Yes, even Xhaka as it’s up to Unai Emery to drop him if he’s underperforming. There’s no room for sentiment in sport. If Emery has to secure a Champions League spot this season, selecting players who continue to make sloppy or costly mistakes, could result in him being the one to pay the price if we don’t. Arsenal are a club supposed to be on the rise, improving game by game regardless of how little that improvement is. We’re not though, defensively. Individuals aren’t learning from their mistakes either and I don’t just mean Xhaka.
The official injury update:
Rob Holding
Now back in full training with the first team squad.
Hector Bellerin
Left knee. Continuing with on-field rehabilitation. Progressing well and aiming to participate in full training in September.
Kieran Tierney
Groin. Continues to receive treatment and further assessments. Progressing well and aiming to participate in full training in September.
Dinos Mavropanos
Groin. Continues to receive treatment and further assessments. Progressing well and aiming to participate in full training in September.
It is September Arsenal, give us something more…
Seriously, having the above players back fit and part of the squad is going to be a massive boost. Waiting to see what Tierney can bring to our left side is both exciting and intriguing because the club fought tooth and nail all summer to get him. Raul must think he was worth it and even though his transfer fee didn’t break the bank, he wasn’t cheap either and we know that Celtic fans really didn’t want to see him leave their club. We know what to expect from Bellerin and Holding though. I’m quietly confident that our defence will be stronger once they’ve returned.
Regardless though, all the time our midfield continues to lack discipline and organisation, any defence will be left exposed, even the best in the world.
Of course every football fan wants to see their team score goals, the more the better but there’s a reason team sports are called as such and that’s because it takes a team to win or lose. Every unit within a team has to work but once one breaks down, the others suffer. It’s a bit like having the highest spec car of your liking parked on your driveway but it’s got no fuel in it. It’s useless to you at that very moment because you can’t drive it. A midfield is the engine in any team sport I think. It drives the team forward but it’s also quick to flick into reverse when it needs to. Ours doesn’t, certainly not enough anyway. When we push forward as a team, it’s like schoolboy football where everyone wants to score but then as soon as we lose possession, we’re vulnerable to the counter attack.
Sounds so simple doesn’t it? It certainly does to me but I bet we see the same old things against Watford on Sunday.
Catch up in the comments guys..
Evening all and thanks Rico.
Dick is Wenger 2.0……………………would rather win 5-4 than 1-0……………as you say Rico, it sounds simple and that is correct as football is a simple game and we simply have to go back to the same as when Adams asked for some protection in front of the defence, it happened and the rest is history !
Watch this just for the comment of where the Spud shirt should end up ! 😆
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/49655721
The midfield is unbalanced and the primary reason is that it lacks a leader and a organiser like Vieira or a Gilberto.
Xhaka is a great disappointment and simply not a leader and just lack that football brain to organise the Engine Room and one feels that his reading of the game is good but simply fails to organise and lead those youngsters playing with him.
I suspect that Emery has no choice but to stick with him as he is the best of the pack in leading the midfield with all those around him in Guendouzi and Joe Willock still developing and learning their trade.
Ceballos needed time to bed in the time and I suspect he is still learning English and still cannot communicate effectively with his team-mates on the pitch.
We will just grin and bear and hope all those youngsters will be fully developed to their potential and gel into a compact unit by December 2019.
Torreira?
He is not a leader and just superb in his role as DCM. But size counts and all EPL players knew how to steam-roll over him.
Like a 17-year-old Fabregas being runover and hacked down by a hulking beast such as Papa Diop, Torreira will need to develop upper body strength like Fabregas to stand up to the battling he is getting in every game.
Oh TA4.
Urban legend is that Tony complained to Arsene Wenger at their annual Christmas party that the Back-4 is not getting any protection from midfield and leaking goals.
Arsene Wenger listened and made a slight adjustment. Whenever going forward, either Vieira or Petit will sit back to protect the Back-4. The rest is history with us overhauling ManU in 1998 and won 1997/98 title.
We play in Germany on Thursday,Both Man Utd and Wolves are at home on Thursday,yet they both play on Saturday,we play on Sunday.Just saying..
Seriously,we are in for a tough test against Watford.These are the sort of games we need to pick up maximum points though.
Our next few fixtures look OK.
Limey, it kind of evens itself out though after the Europa fixture because on the following Sunday, it’s:
Crystal Palace v Wolverhampton Wanderers
West Ham United v Manchester United
Arsenal v Aston Villa
Thanks Rico,
Perhaps that home game against Villa will see Rob Holding return ?
We need him.When he’s back I’d like to see him paired with Sokratis,and either Luiz or Chambers in midfield.
Same here Limey. Perhaps Emery will play Chambers against Forest..
Morning all.
Play Chambers as DM.
Gday Scott,
2-2 or 3-1 in the cricket ? We can be pretty sure it won’t be a draw.Might have been different if Jimmy Anderson had played.
Limey, obviously I hope we win, but more because I’d rather us win the series rather than just retain the Ashes.
Let’s hope it’s a decent contest, either way.
Root dropped twice. Riding his luck.
I read that Pepe was sent back to Arsenal from the Ivory Coast training base, on the day he arrived, as he was carrying an injury.
England 86-1 Lunch.
Chambers DM? No
Xhaxa is the only one (maybe Luis, but in another dimension) to play DM. Not only do you have to worry about defending but you have to have pass quality, vision and deep play. Players to play sideways have to arrive; A good solution would be Ruben Neves (Wolves). We had the DM solved.
Concern with next game.
265 for 8 , not enough ,
Arsenal Women away in Champions League @ Fiorentina………………….currently 4-0 to the Arse !
Evening Rico and the House.
There was a super show this evening by Arsenal women
Goals by Miedema 2 Little and Evans saw them win 4-0.
They were a class above Florentina and it could have been more.
Its been a good day allround.
Bellerin Tierny Smith Rowe and Holding all trained with the first team
and Joe Willock signed long term extention
Here’s another one that got away Arsene Wenger revealed, to the Express, that he tried to sign Jadon Sancho before he left Manchester City for Borussia Dortmund.
I’m not sure why Wenger is so keen on revealing his failure to sign so many emerging stars, it just demonstrates how poor he was at transfer dealing.
Potter, better than the first innings at Old Trafford but still not enough, as you say.
Excellent result by the Arsenal Women, and great news about Willock’s new contract.
Steve Smith will get the 270 himself 🙂
In all fairness to Wenger, he does tend to get asked a hell of a lot about players we looked at but yes, he does himself no favours by continually feeding the media.
Shame he didn’t have Saul to do his dealings.
New post up now