Morning all.
It was far from pretty, far from comfortable either but this Arsenal team huffed and puffed to a much needed victory. It was clear to see how low the confidence is within the camp as goal scoring opportunities were wasted time after time. But to be fair, they didn’t give up and eventually Alexis opened the scoring with a controversial goal. His initial shot hit the keeper, the ball bounced back towards the Chilean, hit his hand and went into the net. The linesman was watching yet gave nothing but Clattenburg, who couldn’t see from where he was stood, apologised to Hull City players and staff at half-time having seen the replay. It is what it is and regardless of what we all think, the goal stood and I’m not fussed either because we’ve had good goals ruled out in the past, so it all evens out in the end…
Before the game ended, we got to see Mohammed Elneny, Lucas Perez and Danny Welbeck replace Oxlade-Chamberlain, Theo Walcott and Alex Iwobi. The Spaniard was lively, he always is and from an Alexis cross he looked certain to make it 2-0 in injury time and he would have had Hull’s Clucas not stuck his arm out to prevent the ball from crossing the line. Clucas was shown a straight red card and Arsenal were awarded a penalty. Alexis stepped up and made sure all three points were going to the home team with not the most convincing of penalties… Again, who cares, it went in.
But as said, Arsenal didn’t make it easy for themselves as passes went astray, shots went off target or straight at the keeper and Hull City opened us up a few times to say the least. Petr Cech made a good save early in the second half from Niasse who looked a strong and physical player. To be fair, he could have nabbed a couple of goals yesterday, one would have been a tap in had he put in a bit more effort to get to a cross from the right.
Walcott was booked after picking on a ten foot Harry Maguire and Gibbs could have easily been shown a straight red card for barging over Lazar Markovic who would have been through on goal with just Cech to beat.
Alexis stole the show for his performance and two goals but Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was my man of the match as he quietly but confidently went about his business. He gave us energy, pace and directness going forward and when needed, he was back in and around our own box carrying out his defensive duties well. I was surprised he was substituted to be honest but if he carries on playing as he is and improving, that midfield place will be his, or it should be. Are we finally seeing the real Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain? Time will tell.
What’s worrying though is the body language and level of performances from a number of our players and that’s not just from yesterday. Too many really look as if they can’t be bothered to be out there playing. There’s little direction, the players look lost or confused and I guess that’s because they are. The club is stagnant, the football, predictable and the fight seems to have gone and I can’t see anything changing until changes are made. Arsene Wenger can talk all he likes but he’s spent. His career as Arsenal manager is waning and for the greater good of the club and the players he believes in so much, he simply has to hand them over to a younger man to manage. If he doesn’t this summer, I can see a few players leaving for pastures new.
On the other hand, I can quite see how Hull City are slowly climbing the table and it seems they have a cracking young manager in Marco Silva as to bring in seven players in Andrea Ranocchia, Alfred N’Diaye and Kamil Grosicki, Oumar Niasse, Evandro, Omar Elabdellaoui and Lazar Markovi last month and get them all clicking together is no easy feat.
Crikey, some of ours have been at the club for years, yet still they don’t click together….
Bayern Munich next which is a totally different proposition to Hull City, but I wonder if Arsene Wenger will approach the game any differently? Somehow I doubt it…
Have a good day guys…
Morning Rico and all.
I wonder if Spurs fans are saying the same about their team and the manager, after yesterday’s no-show at Liverpool.
Yes luck was with us yesterday, but so often it isn’t.
All the praise heaped on Liverpool was justified, but that was the first game they have won this year.
It seems to me that almost every team has similar issues, re no-shows, motivation, poor passing, and to get a team together where they are the perfect storm, happens to only one or two teams per season. It happened with Leicester last season, but this season they are relegation material. At the moment it is Chelsea.
I don’t know the answer, perhaps it is the manager, but if he were to announce his leaving, there are a lot of teams who would step forward to try to get him. Like Fergie though, he is a one club
man IMO. I hope so anyway, at least in the UK.
I hope that he leaves with dignity at the end of the season, because like Gary Neville, I am appalled at seeing this man treated with such distain by fans. Christ knows who could replace him successfully though.
From last post..
Empty seats speak volumes Fred. Would love to know how many fans were really at the match..
Morning Scott, all.
Thank god for Sanchez! Know you don’t see it that way Scott, but to me, if we had 11 Sanchez’s, with 8 at a time on form, we would be formidable. His spirit, distaste at losing, and ability to try and win back the ball once he’s lost it is great IMO. He’s not been 100% recently, but he’s playing in a team who don’t seem to know what to do much of the time! Twice yesterday we had such a chance to shoot and open the scoring, but we delayed or passed backwards! If the team were playing at top level, Sanchez would be our Messi! He will be sorely missed if he goes.
Ozil, I really like him, but he frustrates as well, shame he cant take a game by the scruff of the neck often. Sublime passes though, so I guess I can see why he’s kept on.
Sanchez was my Dream Team Star Man yesterday earning 17 points (top of a 20 man league at moment – with that bastard Costa alongside Sanchez up front for me!) but we all know, Ox was really MOTM.
Andrew, please don’t think that I believe we’d be better without Alexis, as that’s not the case.
He could be even better if he trusted his team mates, and he should, no matter how much better he is, or think he’s is than them.
He’s one hell of a player.
Ozil can turn the game In a second.
He can also look worse than a pub team player.
Frustrating doesn’t describe him lol
Morning Rico, nice post…
Whose this Wrath geezer, he seems to have a lot to say for himself…
The Bayern game will be more about technical football and less to do with all the overly physical rubbish we sometimes get in the EPL.
I’m really looking forward to the game, it should suit many of our players and Bayern, who just run away with the Bundesliga every year, how boring, might well be a tad complacent?!
We’re gonna need to score out there, maybe twice, because you can be sure that the Jerries will score in London.
Nobody gives us a chance, so we may as well give it a go.
I’m expecting us to go out on aggregate I just wanna see us play with some backbone.
A score draw in Munich is a must if we’re to have any chance in London. If we fail to score in Der Fatherland, then it’s goodnight Fritz.
Wenger has a big selection poser, Xhaka will be fit but lacking match sharpness, I’m hoping to see Welbeck start and Perez, we’ll need intelligence up front not just mindless pace or aerial muscle, that can come later in the game if we need a goal.
Oxlade-Chamberlain is gradually settling into the Santiago role, so I’d stick with him and Le Coq with Ozil in the hole.
Kev, how do you think Arsene would’ve gone if at Barca or Bayern for 20 years.
No loaded question there….something in your post just triggered it.
Morning Kev. Thanks.
Wath reminds me of a Hall and Oates song. ‘He only comes out at night………..’ 😉
Good points re Bayern…
If Wenger performed at Bayern the way he has at Arsenal for the last few years, he’d have never lasted as long imo…
Scott, I don’t think that there is another major club who would have kept the same manager for 13 years, without winning the title.
Not Barca or Bayern or Milan or Real or Juve or Chelsea or both the Mancs or even Liverpool, probably not PSG now or Marseilles or Benfica or Celtic or Rangers, the Scum don’t count, so that’s what I think. And that’s taking into consideration the stadium move and getting into the top four every season.
Rico, Wath reminds me of a lot of things, but that’s for another time as this is a family show. ?
🙂 Kev.
Scott, would you trust passing to Walcott at the moment 🙁
I’m yelling at Arsenal players, Go it alone, shoot, hard low cross. But still we frustrate. In fact worse effort yesterday was Bellerin, great position to shoot across goalie. And he goes near post but Five yards wide!
Afternoon all, great read Rico………….brilliant sunshine but effing cold, but a 6 mile run has warmed me up !…………………………..took me longer to read last nights and early morning comments than it did to run 6 miles !…………It was like listening to a load of inebriated Sheila`s on Castlemaine XXXX ! 😆
Amazing our difference of opinion where I would have Alexis in my all time Arsenal team and Obi would have Sanogo ! . 😆
My boy Ox definately MoM and a win is a win……….told you there were above average number of seats available on Arsenal ticket exchange !
Great comment by Meerkat @ 11:01am………………………take Chavs anomaly 13/14 game run out of picture and it would be very close at the top and remember it was an anomaly as they equaled our best winning run !
What we going to talk about after the Sutton game on 20th Feb` as no game after that `til Bindippers away on 4th March !………………….I suppose there will be plenty to talk about if we lose to Sutton ! hahaha………………………….actually a draw would probably be the best result for us so that we have a replay game to fill in the time !….what you think ? 🙂
Have a good feeling that we could do Bayern as they do play in a two team league and be honest, they would not win the EPL every year would they !
No probably be in the fight for 4th.
LC, I like to have Sonogo because I get my 10% agent fee…lol.
On Sanchez:
Unlike most here, I like to be objective rather than subjective. Sanchez is one of my favorite players in football next to Ozil, Vidal, Marchisio and Willian. When Arsenal got both AS and MO I was ecstatic. But the reality is Sanchez is who he is, which is what I have been saying. I just didn’t start watching him because he’s at Arsenal, I have watched him since River Plate and at Unidese where his ball-huging was even worse.
If we are evaluating a player how do you say that what he did at Barce or what he does with Chile doesn’t matter? With Chile he’s not the best player and he acts the same way….”ball-huging “. It’s not about trusting other players, that how he plays. And if you hold on to the play longer than you should in the EPL you will get kick and you will lose the ball….and the Refs are not going to give you the calls, ask Jack Wilshire.
If the entire offense is revolving around Sanchez/ Ozil, why shouldn’t he produce? My argument is he should be much more productive than he is given that everyone is virtually playing through/ for him.
Supposedly most of the current players are sh#t according to most comments here; however, Sanchez is the best on the team so the criterion of evaluation is low since every is sh%t and don’t want to win. IMHO, Mustafi has shown as much fight as Sanchez; Welbeck, Kos, Elneny, Xhaka, Gabriel are fighters. Santi and Perez are not sh^t players.
As it as been said we all watch the games, but if one cannot see that Sanchez is a “me first” player then I guess we will have to agree to disagree. I am not saying that is wrong my point is, its part of the package.
The problem at Arsenal, beside the manager, is that the team is build around two luxury players Sanchez and Ozil, and the engine behind the team Santi is missing.
You make a good argument, Obi !…………..but it still doesn`t change the fact that If I were a woman I would have Alexis`s babies !……………………………….can you imagine me and you next to each other in the maternity ward with Alexis and Yaya looking at us as proud parents ! hahahaha
As I suggested the other day, if there was more movement by players around him, perhaps Alexis would pass more, or rather quicker than he does, after all, it’s no coincidence that once Perez came on and made himself free for the cross which led to the penalty, Alexis was very quick to find him with a pass…
Theo on the right and Alex on the left aren’t as intelligent as intelligent imo.
https://twitter.com/BBCMOTD/status/830757988063289344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Did say that their CB impressed me and he`s a big fcuker aswell !
Quite liked a few of their players Lc, their forward looks like ge could be a good player in the making…
This why I thought it was a good result Rico………………….Hull are no mugs !
If only`s !…………………………If only we had beaten Watford and Chavs we would only be 1 point behind Chavs today !………………and had we got something from the Everton and Mnasour City games we would be top !……………………….if only ! 😀
I suppose The Spuds could say the same !………………..If only we weren`t missing Mike Dean !
Watford was the killer Lc… Shocking.
Just seen the Alexis goal from the linesman’s view. It all happens very quickly. It look s like Alexis has headed the ball not handled it at all. Or that’s how it seems to me. Sadly I can’t do side ways lip reading so I’m not certain of what the Lino says.
With the help of technology the goal would have certainly been disallowed.
Some you win some you don’t.
Thank goodness they’ve not introduced video replays!
As long as Kelsey’s right and Wenger is going.
I’m sure hoping he is….
Yep, me too. 🙂
We shall see?!
Acoording to Keown we have at least another season to look forward to.
I really can’t see why he’d want to stay, not anymore…
Well let’s hope Keown is not itk…
Yes. I was going to ask, to what end could that be?
Keown is desperate to carve himself a position as an established pundit It seems. It’s good money apparently.
Rico, it’s his club. Need I say more?
I reckon they’ll carry him out in a,box, in many years time!
Wavy. If that’s the case they’ll be playing gates of around 30,000 by then.
Keown seems to be one of the more sensible ones though…
Wavy, the club will be in a right old mess by then if that’s the case…
I can’t stand him Rico. 🙂
Really Adam?
Rico 🙂
I was being serious Adam. I like Keown.. 🙂
Adam will not, under any circumstances, tolerate football pundits…
Or cundits as I saw them referred to last week.
Cant stand Jason Cundy……one of the worst cundits imo !
I like Robbie Savage though.
I love Perry Groves on talksport as he really struggles to say anything good about the Spuds………….I cant see him but from his voice he is in agony !…………….he refused to wear a Spud shirt for charity and out paid someone not to do so ! 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSCRrXwb1OA
Phil Neville has to be one of the worst…
Frighteningly bad Rico.
Plenty of empty seats yesterday, Adam……………what do you think the actual attendance was of people turning up ?…………50 ?……………………obviously I mean thousand ! 😆
Hi LC. It’s fairly hard to estimate but I would have thought upper 40’s to 50. It was a bloody cold, damp and horrible day too and there’s the early kick off. Very,very quiet though.
Sure takes some beating Adam… lol
I read that a man has sued Uber for £38M after reportedly revealing his affair through a bug !………………………………..bet Kev could tell some stories of goings on in the back of his cab !…………..even ones when he was driving ! 🙂
The quiet in the stadium does allow time to contemplate things like the relevance of PL football as an entertainment, given the tribal nature of the whole experience.
The way it stands Leicester are one point above relegation zone, if they would have played like this last season we may have been Champs !…………….another if only !……………..and if Wenger had not only bought just a goalie !………………….yet another if only ! 🙂
In the back of Kev’s cab you’ll find teeth marks and scratches from nails where passengers have gripped in terror at the speeds he achieves.
Hahaha…………….God knows what he does to them if they dont tip, Adam !
I can’t remember who said this recently but someone did. lol Apparently the acoustics at The Emirates are the real problem for the lack of noise. The fans sing, but the acoustics are set up wrongly…
A thought !………………………Arsenal still get the revenue even if the sold tickets or season ticket holders dont turn up…..hence the official crowd yesterday being nearly 60,000……………I bet Kroenke wouldn`t give a toss if the “actual” attending crowd was 20,000 as long as the money was in the bank for 60,000 !………………………..he really doesn`t get it !
On the Sanchez goal, it was ball to hand rather than hand to ball and his hands were not in an unnatural position (after stretching for the shot); this is according to both Robbie Mustoe and Robbie Earl. So by the letter of the rule no penalty. The Hull manager didn’t try to make a meal out of it either, so why did Clattenburgh apologized?
LC, Sonogo and I will adopt so wouldn’t see us at the maternity ward…lol.
Rico, the lack of movement is what is hurting Ozil too, so we can give Alexis the benefit of the doubt and not Ozil. We all know Ozil is there as an assist machine not tackling or tracking back. Again, it come with the package…
A 2 year transition period for AW…laughable. If that’s the case just move him upstairs and get a new manager
I bet the acoustics are superb where Arsene counts his wages, Rico !
I can just see Arsene sitting in his throne room counting his wages whilst singing something from Les Miserables !.
Of course they do Lc as it’s prob only the ST holders who didn’t turn up. A silent protest. Regardless of whether the club announce a full capacity, every man and his dog knows it’s bollox.
That won’t have gone unnoticed by the club imo
Obi, of course it is – but no one is really ranting about Ozil as they are Alexis. I love Ozil but my only gripe is he’s darn lazy… But like Alexis, he’s a game changer…
Lets hope Kroenke is the one who notice`s then !…………….will Gazidis tell him ?……..seeing as he is probably in Arsene`s pocket !………………and as long as the cash is coming in they might not want to rock the boat !……………………..it`s not like Stan is being reported any changes by carrier pigeon nowadays, he must watch the news or internet, but who knows…….I ncuking dont ! hahaha
I quite like Chris Suttons very measured and balanced approach to cunditry…
Weir stuck with the syrup no matter what
anyone say’s.
We need a change pundit/cundits are all
putting the screw’s in Arsene now, the
Bandwagon is rolling
Blame Wrighty and Kelsey for that.
Shooting messager’s..Not Me
You’ve gotta love Perry Groves…
A proper Gooner…
Sutton is making his bid to be King Of The Cundits.
That is true Rico, I agreed on that one.
Watching Vardy post match interview, LOL. Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. I hope Leicester gets relegated…
I remember Devil saying they will be in a relegation fight at the beginning of the season….
Yes Cocker, I remember a couple in the back my cab, screaming in terror as I swerved between the traffic on the M4 along the hard shoulder…
Some people are just so very sensitive.
I mean I was only doing 120mph, anybody would think that I was a risk taker. ?
Obi, I bet he wishes he’d said yes to Arsenal eh. Serves him right… lol
Kev. I haven’t been able to work since. 🙂
Yeah Adam, but you wasn’t working before either. ?
Mr Allezkev. What a scurrilous suggestion to make. 🙂
Mrs Adam will be merciless in her retribution.
Leicester 25 5 6 14 24:43 21 pts lost the last five with liverpool, hull, arsenal , west ham and stoke coming up. They could be in real trouble.
Night guys, Moorside awaits..
Catch up tomorrow guys…
Oh dear, I have overstepped the mark…
I will prostrate myself in Mrs A presence and beg for her forgiveness Adam.
Night Rico
You will receive a fair hearing Mr Allezkev. 🙂
I feel humbled Adam ?
Fluke?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzZAh_dzs2s
GG, definitely some luck involved, but if you don’t try, you’ll never score.
Some of our lads really should take note.
Wake up my English friends, and the rest of you bahahaha
Did anyone see the Ajax vice captain and his beautiful show of, ahem, “sportsmanship”???
Incredible.
I’m awake…
Morning all.
Morning Rico. A bit of sun at last over here.
Morning Adam, it’s trying to shine here too. Really cold though with a strong wind.
Only 32 today here-heavenly 🙂
Rico. Sad to hear that Ozil is low on confidence. 🙂
Adam, at 160k a week, I hope you’re not too sad 🙂
I wonder why his confidence is ow Adam…
Just watched that Ajax incident Scott, it’s quite funny really, but terribly unsporting… 🙂
New post up now…
Rico, I’d be devastated if Sean did that.
I don’t know the player, and can only hope it was a brain snap, and totally out of character.