Daily Bits and Bobs

The Striker Wenger wants. Cech spells it out! Offside, handball – who really cares?

Posted on by rico

Morning all.

Well I’m not going through yesterday’s match, that’s for sure. Having been greatly entertained over the last few weeks, Sean Dyche ensured Arsenal wouldn’t be given the time and space they have enjoyed of late.

Saying that, a lot of Arsenal’s dismal stuff was of their own doing. Passes astray, the few shots we had on goal went either wide or over the top and only some good defending by the boys at the back kept Burnley out. Perhaps the biggest shock was seeing Theo Walcott clearing one of Burnley’s better chances.

Then, just as the referee contemplated blowing his whistle to end the game, lady luck popped up and said ‘I’m not having this’. Offside, handball, too much added time played? All will be debated this morning of that we can be sure but as far as the referee was concerned, it was a goal and that’s all I really care about.

Three points to Arsenal, three points which perhaps in years gone by, we wouldn’t have earned so I guess that’s a big positive. Arsenal kept going until the end and it paid off handsomely and as Petr Cech said after the game:

This is the best way to mark his (Arsene Wenger) anniversary, with the win and a resilient performance. Burnley were brilliant and it was a very tough game.

Whoever touched it [for the goal], I don’t really care! These are a vital three points.

As said earlier, if that kind of performance was just a blip, especially having given so much in the game against Basel, then fine but if it’s a sign that little has changed since last season and so many before when we’ve struggled away from home and against a defensive side, then the concerns will soon creep back in, if they’ve ever been truly eradicated of course. Perhaps we’ll know more after the next away fixture which is against Sunderland on the 29th of October.

In the meantime, we have another boring international break, followed by four home fixtures. Swansea and Middlesbrough in league, Ludogorets Razgrad in the Champions League and Reading in the League Cup.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott have been called up for England, Laurent Koscielny, who appeared to suffer an injury during the goal fiasco yesterday, will probably head off with France but Giroud, who has been injured for the last week or so, should miss out. Although I wouldn’t be surprised to see him playing for his country. Mesut Ozil and Mustafi both join up with the German squad and if Chile have any fixtures, then Alexis will be off too as will Ospina if Columbia have a match or two to play. Xhaka heads off to Switzerland and Elneny with Egypt.

Unless I’ve missed anyone like Holding or Bellerin, the remainder of our players will have a two week break, not that there’s many left…..

The transfer window may be closed but it seems Arsenal are already thinking ahead as according to reports, Celtic’s Moussa Dembele has been watched three times, including his when his side held Man City 3-3 at Celtic Park, a game in which two of the goals were scored by the Frenchman.

Oh well, we can’t stop the silly rumours can we, regardless of what time of the year it is. Just like we can’t stop these horrid international breaks, all we can do is hope all our players come back fit and healthy….

Have a good Monday guys…..

rico

79 thoughts on “The Striker Wenger wants. Cech spells it out! Offside, handball – who really cares?”

  1. scottfromoz says:

    Morning all.
    We fought until the end, had a little luck, so we move on.
    Other clubs win that way and the pundits give them credit for toughening things out.
    3 points is 3 points and as we all know, we should have had a penalty for a definite handball so justice was done, for mine.
    Funny, the pundits I just saw never mentioned that, though.

  3. scottfromoz says:

    Funny buggers, aren’t they, Rico 🙂
    A mate who is an ST holder at Citeh is worried………he reckons KDB no playing wasn’t their real issue v Spuds, the fact they can’t defend is, but it’s been hidden by the fact they haven’t been under pressure until this week.
    It’s nice we don’t have that dread hanging over us ATM.

  4. rico says:

    Just wear odd specs Scott… lol

    Not sure it was the lack of KdB, Toots were simply all over them for long periods. Said a while ago that they are dodgy at the back… 😉

  5. kelsey says:

    I know 1971 football was a diferent game,actually harder.Worse pitches,heavier balls and no nonsense defenders,no more than now but when I hear players like Iwobi (who IMO will be a very good player) has to wrapped in cotton wool, the 1971 team had several youngsters who were his age or thereabouts.
    I like , Rico and others said we mustn’t get carried away after those two great results but both Basel and Chelsea didn’t play park the bus and if anything we missed a player like giroud yesterday.We need to work on this as half the division will play like that against us.

  6. scottfromoz says:

    Not sure if they bought backs or not, but I dare say Pep inherited most of them, so no, I’m not blaming him for this one.
    As Arsene says, you can’t being in too many new guys at any one time.
    On the pundits, Steve Nichol floored me when saying he was glad we won and during the game felt sorry for us, as Burnley had 10 players in the box most of the time.
    They don’t come more anti Arsenal than him.

  7. rico says:

    Not sure it’s wrapping Iwobi in cotton wool Kelsey, just have to remember how old he is and how many games he’s playing on the trot.. No different to those getting older really like Santi.

    Rest and rotation will be key to our season imo…

    Scott, they bought Stones for £50 million…..

  9. allezkev says:

    So Steve Nicol is a ‘pundit’..!

    From what I can recall from his playing days Rico, the other players in the Liverpool dressing room kinda suggested that Nicol was a big on the dumb side…

    Hang on, that makes him perfect for being a pundit… ?

  11. Marshall says:

    Yeah Cech! It’s a win, 3 points anyone who is saying (pundits) “but…but” can go stuff up.

    Citeh’s defense obviously is not that great. They have been shipping in goals too, only upside is KDB and co. have been scoring more. The interlull gon’ be a bore.

  12. Marshall says:

    Kelsey, it’s not about wrapping players in cotton wool. It’s knowing the conditions of a player – sports science- knowing their limit and how far they can go till they are in the red zone. If Iwobi pulled his strings after playing 2-3 full matches I bet you’d probably think he ain’t well taken care of.

    Example, when that thug Costa became a chav they knew he wouldn’t play consecutive number of games, they ‘wrapped him in cotton’ and he won them the league. It’s not 1971 anymore. Lifestyles have changed too.

  16. Adam says:

    Afternoon Rico and all. When everyone from the midfielders forward have a poor game you get problems like yesterday. It was a horrible match for me and one or two of our players looked strangely disinterested and Xhaka still looks short of fitness for the hectic PL. Still, it’s probably not right to read too much into that as we played 3 games in 8 days and won them all so how bad is that?

  17. rico says:

    Afternoon Adam. It was awful on the eye. The Ryder Cup was even worse, not a good day for sport really for me, especially after Hamilton’s engine set fire….

  18. Adam says:

    Rico. Golf is a mystery to me but the Americans I saw who were supporting their team looked as ghastly a mob as I have seen. As for Hamilton. I think most outside observers can see what is going on there. Not that I can stand him of course. 🙂

  19. rico says:

    The American supporters, well many of them, were just as Danny Willett’s (spelling) brother suggested before it all kicked off….

    Yes, it’s Nico’s turn Adam…

  21. frednerk says:

    Afternoon All
    Great week for The Arsenal and Arsene.

    Love it when teams defend for 90mins
    and get done in injury time.
    Theoooo defending one end then
    winning a header for the goal,the
    other end..What’s Happening.

    Player’s who are valued by cash rich club’s
    should not be judged by the fee.
    Stones is very young to be a stand out defender,
    not sure why he get’s so much stick.
    Watching Mustafi play on the other hand
    was surprised he is only 24yrs old,
    he look’s very experienced.

  22. Obi says:

    “but if it’s a sign that little has changed since last season and so many before when we’ve struggled away from home and against a defensive side”.

    Rico, I think a lot has changed, seasons before we would’ve lost 1-0. As you implied, Theo coming back to clear a chance wouldn’t have happened before.

    Adam @ 12:52, Xhaka situation is a strange one for me, I been a Xhaka fan even before he got here and it wasn’t like that before. I noticed when he replaced Coq in the Chelsea game, when he took off his shirt he had a little belly fat, maybe he’s bulking up for the physicality of EPL.

  24. rico says:

    It’s nice afterwards Fred, but not at the time….

    Obi, too early to tell for me, a couple of good performances is good but let’s see what we are all saying in January/February….

  26. potter says:

    I wonder if anyone has got stats on manager changes immediately before playing us. Seems to happen a lot.

  28. Obi says:

    Fred, the reason Stone gets the stick is that to a larger extent he’s a product of British media creation. Is not the kids fault, but the hype is better than the game. I am not going to compare him to Mustafi because I said it before Mustafi got on board that if Stone is 50m, then Mustafi should be 70m – and that Mustafi is WC quality. But really Fred, is Stone even better than Holding or Reece Oxford?

    Holding with the attributes he has already and learning from Mert, Kos, and Mustafi, barring any injuries, is the future of the England defense. Stone’s lapses are horrid for a defender.

  30. kelsey says:

    Obi

    things have changed but we are still a long way from being a perfect unit if there is actually such a thing.We struggled at Home these past two seasons and lost to sides who we would never have dreamt we would lose to but then so have others and for that reason I personally think this is an open season more than ever but this season without the surprise package of Leicester.

    Injuries and the most prudent manage picking teams for the occasion will win the league and it might just be us.

    Who would have thought City would concede 5 goals in two games in 4 days or Stoke would get a point at United and so on.

    My main concern is as usual team depth against injuries.At the moment we have three recognised centre forwards and yesterday all were injured,not including Sanchez as he is a false 9.

  39. Bob John says:

    Hi all
    Late reading post today. Nothing to add about yesterday althoughbit was the typebof game where Ozil gives his critics amunition. When I think of how Pires adapted to the physical side of the English game then Mesut really has no excuse for these type or performances.
    One more point. Xhaka was sent off for Switzerland last game so must be suspended.

  41. Micko says:

    Bob, when we signed Pires he was getting the shit kicked out of him week in week out and as a result spent most of the time hugging the touchline and not getting involved in games, what did we do, stuck Martin Keown on him in training to toughen him up, the defining moment for me was the Juve game on our way to the CL final when he went straight through Vieira with a sliding tackle, still puts a smile on my face today.

  47. Wavy says:

    RIP Mel Charles 1935-2016

    He scored 2 goals in a 3-0 win against Blackpool in the first game I ever saw at Highbury. Co-Incidently Stanley Matthews final game for them prior to returning to Stoke. He was anomomous that day. Charles on the other hand played well scoring both goals with his head from corners the third goal was a rasping 25 yard smash scored by Gerry Ward. I can still all three goals in my mind’s eye as if it was yesterday!
    Charles it would seem was a bit of a ‘player’ he liked a drink loved the ladies and was not always focussed on his day job! Neither was he as good as his big brother John. I believe he took over the CF spot after the now late David Herd moved to Manure.
    Sadly another of the ‘old boys’ moves on.
    . . .

  48. ScottfromOz says:

    My morning all.
    My comment on Stones being overpriced and overrated is not a slur on him at all, Fred.
    He didn’t set his fee, and nor is it he who rates him a world class defender, As that price tag dictates he should be.
    Media, pundits, Citeh who is suggest could be criticised.

  49. Adam says:

    Morning Rico and all.
    Surely the fee paid for John Stones reflects a judgement of the player he could become as much as how good he is right now.

  50. rico says:

    Morning Adam and all.

    I think Stones will be a very good CH in time. If he wasn’t English though, I doubt he’d have been £50 million… 😉

  51. ScottfromOz says:

    Hi Adam, fair enough, but at that price, i’d hate to be taking a punt and coming up short.
    Him right now or Mustafi for 15 million less is a no brainer, but down the track remains a guess.
    Either way, the good old agent wins, as always.
    Morning Rico.

  53. kelsey says:

    Funny you should say that Rico

    From today’s T|imes.I am not sure how true this is but this in recent years this has been a consistent problem.His wages were doubled quite recently
    ——————————————————————————-

    Héctor Bellerín could reject an offer to stay at Arsenal and leave for Manchester City in the summer.

    Arsenal have offered their Spain right back a five-year deal that would almost double his pay packet of £50,000-a-week. Barcelona, who lost Bellerín to Arsenal on a free transfer in 2011, are also interested in bringing the Catalan back to the Nou Camp. Their vice-president, Jordi Mestre, said: “He’s a great player, there’s no doubt.”

    Sources close to the player insist that Bellerín’s preference is to join City, where he would be reunited with Pep Guardiola. The pair crossed paths during Bellerín’s…

  54. kelsey says:

    Unfortunately this will continue to happen to all our good players despite having £193 million spare in the bank until Mr Nigeria buys Kroenke out 😉

  56. ScottfromOz says:

    Arsene ought to be telling him he’s going not nowhere!!!!
    A lot will depend on Ozil and Sanchez resigning, I guess, though Stan may like the sound of 50 lol

  58. Marshall says:

    Morning all.

    50m? Sold! But yet gain the media like to raffle our ‘cohesion’. When isn’t one of our players not linked to the petrocity? We’d never pick their calls.

  62. Marshall says:

    Juve? That’s odd. They splashed £76million for Higuain, they have Dybala and Mario Mandzukic… unless they will be selling don’t think they’d be in for Giroud…

  65. allezkev says:

    ‘Sources close to the player’ means his agent…

    Bellerins agent is doing his job, getting the best deal possible for his client. I don’t blame Hector, if I was in his shoes and had a chance to play for Guardiola then I’d be tempted to leave…

    It shows where Arsenal are, we are like Dortmund or Atletico Madrid, one of the major players in our league but still vunerable to a bigger, richer more ambitious competitor…

    I would hold out for £60 million…

    Morning All

    Morning Rico

  66. Marshall says:

    Adam, lol alot of clubs do like that. OG12 is a favorite of Arsene, his pedicure hasn’t dried up yet?

    Dembele is an exciting prospect Rico, I just think that scouser scum of a manager wouldn’t sell to us just out of spite!

  70. Marshall says:

    “Bellerins agent is doing his job, getting the best deal possible for his client…” Kev you forgot to say getting the best deal for himself too

  71. allezkev says:

    Hector is under contract until the summer of 2019 so we can sit on this one for awhile Rico…

    Guten tag Herr Adam…
    Onwards to Poland… ?

  73. allezkev says:

    Well yeah Marshall, that’s for sure mate…

    We have a good kid in the Stiffs, Chiori Johnson, give him another year and the who knows. This is Arsenal after all….

  75. allezkev says:

    Then there’s Maitland-Niles, could Wenger be converting him into a right-back Marshall, in preparation for losing Bellerin?

    Didn’t Bellerin start out as an attacking midfielder – or winger in old money..?

  77. Marshall says:

    Rico, Brendan is a scouser to me, forever will be.

    True Kev, there must be a bunch of kids who could take the RB place, Jenko might surprise us too or Wenger ‘steals’ another one from Catalunya- I like it when he does that.

    And 2019 is a long time, his agent just wants to show arsenal they have options as the enter they negotiations. – probably the Vardy like scenario.

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