Morning all.
The penultimate fixture of the season is here, an away match against Nottingham Forest who are not yet 100% sure of Premier League survival. In other words, they need a win. I read that Forest brought in 29 new players this season which is staggering really. Steve Cooper looked on the brink of being sacked not long ago when his team couldn’t buy a win but rather than take the easy option, the club gave him a new contract which was/is a clear sign of belief in him. Patience is needed when a manager has brought in many players of his choice, something we’ve seen at Arsenal really. Mikel Arteta had his struggles not that long ago but like Cooper, he signed a new contract at Arsenal which sent out a message to all of us. Arsenal’s plan really is long term and Arteta is the man to deliver it.
The Spaniard hasn’t had the luxury of signing 29 new players in one year, not that I really believe those kind of numbers solve anything, but the Arsenal board have certainly backed him since he took over from Unai Emery. Another summer transfer window looms large and it’s an important one, possibly the most important one after coming so close to winning the League. I really like this from Arteta:
I think everybody would describe the situation (our season) with different words. But probably the same people who thought that we were going to finish sixth or seventh in the season are now saying that finishing second would be a failure. You have all the answers in that.
Of course we’re all disappointed that we faded away a bit over the last few weeks, at least I know I am but those pundits etc who are saying we bottled it, failed or whatever other negative term they choose to throw our way, really should have a word with themselves because if anything, perhaps Mikel Arteta’s players have overachieved this season.
Anyway, back to today’s game – both clubs have a number of injuries ahead of tonight’s game but for us, both Martinelli and Zinchenko have joined the injury list so it’s about next season for both, as it is for Saliba, Tomiyasu and Elneny.
It’s about next season for all of us really although for the players who are fit, there’s still a job to do. There are fans to entertain and a responsibility to finish the season well.
Out of all the Arsenal headlines, this one caught my attention the most.
What a sweetie ‘Win’ is.
Mikel Arteta:
We always talk about family, and being connected. A big family like we are at the club, and I feel like we are a family, we need a dog to represent that family. I think there are still things at the club that can be done to connect with people. To be more caring with people, to show love. I carefully chose the dog and in my opinion it’s the perfect representative of who we are right now. Her name is Win, we all love winning and Win needs a lot of love. So the love for Win, that was basically the feeling. The reaction from the players and the staff has been incredible, she is one of us. She is going to be on this journey with us together. It’s something that changes your mood like this [clicks fingers]. She gives you all the love and suddenly you feel the energy of the place. It’s just beautiful and to me those things are very important.
I bet Win can run rings around Vieira on the training ground…..
Anyway, here’s the starting eleven for today’s match..
Enjoy.
Who is Bandeira?
3 defenders
Just back in time for kick off. A Celebratory family lunch at The Gunton Arms, best Sirloin Steak I’ve eaten in years.
So we go with 3 4 3, I don’t remember using that formation this season.
Variety, ask they say, is the spice of life.
C’mon The Glorious Gunners!!;’
Youth player Jm.
Portuguese midfielder Mauro Bandeira joined the club aged 13, having been spotted playing schoolboy football in Barnet.
An energetic and box-to-box midfielder with an eye for goal, he registered an impressive strike in the final match of the season at under-18 level against Tottenham Hotspur.
A keen martial artist when he was younger, Mauro was rewarded for his impressive campaign with a professional contract in July 2022, having played 26 times at under-18 level last term, as well as making his under-23 debut.
Another bleedin mistake costs us a goal.
Just what we needed another stupid mistake, giving the ball away with a stupid pass.
If Jesus stayed on his feet……
Difficult watch these days are Arsenal.
Tierney overlap down the wing please. Creating very little and formation just seems to cramp us up and suit Forest.
That was pretty dire…
Sure was Rico. Odd formation for me and White doing his tortoise impersonation.
What is the point of having Partey on the right? He’s not a fullback, he’s not a wing back and he’s not a winger, he’s completely lost and does nothing but play the ball back to whoever passes it to him. Move him to centre back and put White on the wing, he works well with Saka and may create something. At the moment we are looking at a stop start, time wasting second half with Forest players feigning injury and relying solely on long throw-ins.
bet the dog’s got more bite than Jesus
Heard that Gunton is good but a bit rich for my blood .
We need to make changes but looking at the bench cant think which ones .
Its all about next season now
Very weird Adam.
Jesus needs to come off and it doesn’t matter who replaces him they couldn’t do any worse.
I think our performances have dipped since Jesus returned. He does a lot of running, falling over etc but little else really.
Oh that’s it Trossard of Veira on. ESR will definitely be leaving in the summer.
I hope not Cicero but I must admit, Vieira instead of ESR is an odd one.
This is not working something like 200 passes backwards and forward in front of the opponents penalty box and hardly a shot on target. Let alone a goal.
Smith rowe to Villa for not enough money
Disaster-class from Arteta and the team.
Emery rates him and will play him
Squad has been shown up . To all those saying 2 or three now you can see it’s way more than that .
Top of the list is a striker, there’s little point in wingers getting the ball into the box if there is no one there to put it in the net.
ESR is one of very few prepared to run at a defence. I think it’d be bonkers to sell him but if Arteta only wants tippy tappy passing, then I guess he’ll be gone.
I think Arteta would be happy for him to stay but I can’t see that sitting on the bench whilst the Portuguese wet lettuce plays is going to enthuse him to stay. ( no offence JM. )
There were rumours that he was being coached to replace Xhaka but as Xhaka was played out of position then today was the day to do it . But even in the death when we looked totally impotent Arteta brings on Vieira . Reckon ESR is on the phone to Emery right now.
Glad you mentioned impotence Potter as the same thought crossed my mind. It seemed to me that I was watching eleven men in need of maximum doses of viagra because every last one of them lacked any kind of penetration. Sideways tippy tippy Wenger ball at its most paralysed.
Heaven forfend. Displays like this and last week’s will see us relegated next year not would be champions.
Shocking. Shocking.
I still hope him not playing much has been about sorting his injuries once and for all rather than being overlooked… We all dream though eh..
Night guys.
It’s ending in the worst possible way.
I twisted my nose at the lineup and when checking the positions of the players on the field, I was even more amazed. I don’t understand that without full-backs (I was in doubt that Terney was fit), playing with wingers is given up, players who are slow to think and execute positions are changed to defenses on the right and left side, players are piled up in the middle canceling each other out and playing with the forwards playing with their backs to the goal for 60 minutes.
On the other hand and as already posted, there are players who no longer count. I am unaware of ESR has lost the characteristics it had after the injury. The fact is, you have no opportunity to enter. He almost always played with White on the right and has performed and received praise. It gives depth to the right side something Partney doesn’t. Easy to deduce that Holding no longer counts. Without Timiasu and Zinchenko, it would be logical for Tierney to play who, in my opinion, is being discarded due to his physical condition. The midfield is all confused, with players occupying the same positions and therefore very short passes, little imagination and little depth prevail. At the front, Tossard was in a bad position, I think. G. Jesus is inefficient. You squeeze what you did and you end up with nothing to show.
There was an unsigned penalty on G. Jesus, as in the previous game, Brigton’s 1st goal is preceded by a foul (a stomp) on the defender. The current rules are clear. As in the Brighton match, there were 2 throws from the sidelines that were played on the pitch, which gave rise to dangerous plays. I don’t understand what Var and linesman do.
I have previously posted that the team’s disposition against Brighton, in my opinion, was wrong. Against Forest it was also disastrous.
Finally, we understand why Guardiola let Zinchenko and G. Jesus “get away”. The 1st, because he has played 2 games and is out of action for 4 (even without having gone to the World Cup and not having had a load of international games). The 2nd, because he plays a type of “beach football” that, squeezed, is neither effective nor efficient for the team.
The last two games resulted in a balance of 0-4 and 6 points lost.
Not the result we wanted, but not a surprise either.
I recon Arteta is now more focused on next season, and who to buy and sell in the transfer window.
As I have said before I like ESR but for some reason I think Arteta rates him.
I have a conspiracy theory, Arteta let forest win, so Everton and Leicester can join Southampton in relegation.😊
New post up now