Morning all.
I liked what Stephan Lichtsteiner said during the obligatory pre match press conference yesterday. Respect for the opposition. This is something which has cost us early exits from the domestic cups in the past. Well, the lack of it. I’ve always got the impression that when a club from lower down the league divisions is drawn against us, the belief in The Arsenal camp has been ‘turn up, game won.’ Sport is full of of surprises where the underdog triumphs on the day so taking a nonchalant approach to the task ahead is a big fat no no. I hate to bleat on about Arsene Wenger but he was guilty of this time and time again. Not only cup fixtures either but in the league as we suffered many an embarrassing slip up on a match day.
FC Vorskla Poltava, a team many of us will know zero about other than they’re based in the Ukraine. I only know because that little factoid came out when the draw took place. And that’s where my knowledge of tonight’s opponents ends.
Wikki came in handy though.
- One of the biggest successes of Vorskla in European competition was their qualification to the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League group phase.
- On 26 July 2014, the club’s president Oleh Babayev was shot dead, while police has opened a criminal cases under Article “premeditated murder”.
- In the 2017-18 season, the club finished third in the top division for the first time since the 1996-97 season.
From what I can make out, this is their fifth time of qualifying for the Europa League but only the second time they’ve made it through to the group stage. They’ll be excited, keen to do well as they represent their country on Europe’s big stage. It’s not quite as glamorous as the Champions League, Yes, I nicked that expression from Lichtsteiner, but nevertheless, it’s a competition well worth winning.
Arsenal will be desperate to win it, of that we can be sure. Rotation will come into play as Unai Emery confirmed yesterday and despite not fully understanding his English at the moment, and I’m not being critical, I think he hinted that those who do well tonight could play on Sunday against Everton. Lichtsteiner himself will want to be one of those players, Bernd Leno too and I doubt the list ends there. Torreira is the big one we all want to see in the league. He alone can change a game just by being calm, confident and keeping things simple. With great ease he keeps the ball moving, plays his pass to the right player and at the right time. Perhaps tonight will see him in the starting eleven for the very first time. I’d imagine Elneny will be in there too.
The other thing I liked about Lichtsteiner was his response to the question about how he beat Bellerin to the right back position. It’s him and hector for Arsenal he said, not him against Hector for the place in the side. That’s what you get from a team player. Arsenal come first. Plus he intimidated that he doesn’t care where he plays, he’s ready. Ready to play anywhere for the good of the club. When asked about there being a lack of leadership within the squad, he simply said that wasn’t the case. He of course is a leader and he’s been doing it for a while for Switzerland. This Arsenal team will only benefit from having him on the pitch and in more ways than one.
Thursday/Sunday football isn’t ideal but it’s where Arsene Wenger left us. Now it’s all about making this season the last in Europa and fighting hard for a return to the Champions League. We’re lucky in a way as we have two bites at the cherry. We could win this competition which is a tough challenge in itself, or finishing in the top four.
I wouldn’t write off our chances of doing both.
Enjoy the game guys…
Morning Rico and all.
Lichtsteiner is one impressive professional!!!
Rivalry or not, Hector better keep his eye on the Swiss gent!!
Emery helped build his career winning Europa Cups, so it’s safe to say he sees real value in it.
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Good morning Rico, I think Emery, a few weeks ago, suggested that the Europa League could be our top priority this season. Realistically, winning the Premiership is probably out of our reach so the EL is our best chance of a major honour, it also offers a way into the Champions League should we miss out on Wenger’s TFT (Top four Trophy).
Leno to start his first competitive game for Arsenal and I hope that Lichtsteiner’s appearance at the press conference means that he will also start.
Congratulations to the Arsenal Women for their 7 – 0 demolition of Yeovil last night and further congratulations to Aubameyang’s dad Pierre Francois Aubameyang on his appointment as joint head coach to Gabon’s national side.
Morning all.
Dick may have a longer goal in line for Lickstainer. Vastly experienced he well be grooming him as one of his coaches in the future. He may be a good one too.
On the success front, I noticed that our redoubtable ladies scraped a result yesterday at Yeovil. They put 7 past the West Country wizards.
Stavanger day here. Grey wet and cold.
It’s all in the Aussie style of coaching, guys 🙂 🙂
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I don’t expect Ramsey to play this evening as he asked to be subbed off against Newcastle claiming he was tired.
Not that he will be much missed.
Evening guys, after a day with the outlaws, I too need subbing off. My brain is frazzled… lol
Relax Rico. The match will be on soon. 🙂
I am Adam. 😜
Evening all and thanks Rico.
What they say ?………………difference between Outlaws and Inlaws is that Outlaws are wanted !…………………………miss my Father in Law, as for the Mother in Law, well, no doubt she still haunts this place and no matter how much exercising I do she wont go ! 😉
Arsenal: Leno, Lichtsteiner, Holding, Sokratis, Monreal, Torreira, Elneny, Iwobi, Mkhitaryan, Welbeck, Aubameyang
Subs: Martinez, Bellerin, Guendouzi, Smith-Rowe, Ozil, Nketiah, Lacazette.
Interesting line up , Holding played well with Mertesacker leading him perhaps the experience of the other back three will bring him on to challenge Mustafi.
Try exorcising instead of exercising. 😉
Knew someone would fall for my trap ! 🙂
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dnji9jwWwAEk7mO.jpg
Common sense to me that playing the better footballing goalie in Leno we have a better footballing CB in Holding…………………..watch and learn Mustafi……………dont be scared of the round thing !
Great to see the new guys starting. Holding an interesting choice as well….
Pretty slow start but a very good breakaway goal by Aubameyang , and a second right at the start of the season bond half by Welbeck.
Season bond? Season bond? Second half, bloody spell checker. 😕
Guendouzi and Ozil coming on. 3 – 0 Aubameyang with his second.
Well 3-0 at the moment.
Sporting 1 up
Torreira off and has an ice pack on his left knee.
Just a precaution hopefully re Torreira and nothing serious. Doubt he’d have come out after the break if there was a problem.
Iwobi has had a good game, better than anything we’ve seen before I reckon.
We must hope so Rico, Torreira could be a very important player for us.
Coaching Rico, something that was lacking under the previous manager.
Watching Lacazette is hilarious…
Definitely Cicero. Can’t see Emery taking chances though, not after the way he’s been with him so far.
Agree re Iwobi, I’d pretty much written him off..lol
Ozil makes it 4 – 0
And the blip!
Just when I thought our defence was looking a bit better we give away a silly goal.
At least it wasn’t from something different though Cicero. 😜
never a clean sheet
Never a clean sheet
Guendouzi is such a delight to watch at times..
That was a sloppy finish…
Sloppy, sloppy play! Ridiculous to give away a second goal in the last second of the game.
Torreira and Lichtenstein off and suddenly it’s all forward iin midfield and we go all silly at the back.
Morning.
New post up now.
An encouraging win last night. The four goals scored will be a confidence boost for Aubameyang and Ozil while Welbeck, finally getting the ball in the net, will also be relieved to have got the ball in the net.
It’s hard to judge Leno’s performance on the little evidence available, he had no chance with either of the two late goals conceded, but looked somewhat calmer with the ball at his feet than has done Cech lately.
Lichtsteiner, up to the dither point, impressed me with his no nonsense approach to defending, willing to actually put in a tackle and win the ball he also looks good going forward.
Sokratis gets better with every game, another defender with the ability to tackle effectively and is calm on the ball.
Torreira and Elneny seemed to have developed an understanding and looked good in partnership dominating the midfield.
I’m with Rico in respect to Guendouzi, a joy to watch and he plays with a freedom of spirit that bodes well for the future.
From an Arsenal point of view the one black spot on the match was the last ten minutes of headless chicken attacking which left the defence exposed and thus led to the conceding of two late goals. Unai Emery will not be pleased with that.
Right, it’s a lovely morning, off for a three miler around Bayfield estate followed by lunch at the Three Swallows in Cley-next-the Sea