Daily Bits and Bobs

Too soon to get excited? Oxlade-Chamberlain needs to get on board..

Posted on by rico

Morning all.

I’m sure most Arsenal fans are still feeling pretty good after Saturdays battering of Chelsea. As Arsene Wenger said, the first half was as near perfect as it gets. The second half was equally as good in it’s own right despite not scoring further goals.

Little bits from the game though made me think that certain players are really improving, the attitude and body language is much better, as is the grit, determination and will to get stuck in.

Sanchez robbing the ball off Cahill’s toe before scoring, Walcott tracking back and getting stuck in, Bellerin’s speed and perfectly timed tackle late in the game, Ozil’s superb fancy turn which left Kante looking stupid and of course, the way Koscielny and Mustafi together kept Costa so quiet. Iwobi’s performance was superb for such a young player and even when Gibbs came on, he just slotted in and looked very solid.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain needs to get on board now and if he does, he too will only improve. To be fair, his second half performance in midweek was better than his first and hopefully his goal will only boost his confidence.

I don’t know why or how it just all clicked so perfectly on Saturday, but all I can say is long may it remain.

When before have we had the luxury of giving a player of Elneny’s quality a rest against a team like Chelsea? I have to hold my hands up and admit that when he was left out of the squad and Xhaka out of the first eleven, I thought Wenger had made a huge mistake and one which would haunt him but no, how wrong was I…..

Same with Perez. How tempted must Arsene Wenger have been to start him again after his fine performance midweek, but no, another day off for him as he gets used to English football.

It seems clear to me that now we have depth in the squad and strength in that depth, Wenger is going to do all he can to rest and rotate in order to prevent injury. And let’s be honest, if this squad doesn’t suffer too many serious injuries this season, it’ll be a massive bonus as all too often by the time November arrives, players usually start dropping like flies and we are in a mess.

Hopefully we have had our share of injuries now with Mertesacker, Gabriel, Ramsey all having all suffered early this season and perhaps the fitness Gods will look over Francis Coquelin today as he undergoes a scan on his knee. Frustratingly, it’s the same knee as his last injury so it’s not looking good but unlike last season, we have cover.

It’s all looking rosy right now and it’s right to enjoy the victory over Chelsea as at last, we thumped them good and proper, but now we need to do the same against the kind of teams we struggled against last season. Burnley, Swansea, Middlesbrough and Sunderland. Do that, and I’ll even start to believe we can finally beat the neighbours on November 6th.

Reasons to be cheerful? Maybe, just maybe but we’ve been here before haven’t we…….

rico

59 thoughts on “Too soon to get excited? Oxlade-Chamberlain needs to get on board..”

  1. allezkev says:

    Ah ‘fingers’ Furnell, I remember him at Wembley in 1968 Cocker, flapping at the ball as Jackie Charlton fouled him…

    Yes, the referees had a problem with Arsenal back then as well…

    Off to read the post, but ya know Rico, I can sense that it’s gonna be a great read… ?

  9. kelsey says:

    Thank you for a nice post and yes most of us are still buzzing.

    It’s strange but until I read your post the name of mertesacker wasn’t mentioned anywhere over the weekend.

    We all have been following the club for years but like many others I just can’t fathom out how every single one of our lads played as if they would get shot if they didn’t perform even allowing for an absolutely terrible Chelsea defence.

    In a perverse way I am annoyed after so many lacklustre performances these past few seasons.How can a team transform practically overnight.

    I like the Mustafi/Kos partnership especially against that gorilla lookalike de Costa, but I a not getting carried away just yet.

    Wenger talks about Theo today that he is now tracking back much more,up to 50% of his game, so why has that taken 11 years to learn. I hope he can keep that up.

    If anything we practically have three teams and competition is healthy amongst the players.

    In all probability there are 4 or 5 teams chasing City but early days yet.

    Don’t expect a performance like that every week and by Xmas we will know who maybe surplus if the team keeps improving or possibly no one will be.

    I don’t see jack coming back and Ramsey as much as I like him has to cut out the Hollywood passes and fight to get into the team.

    Listening to eminent journalists most think this is Wenger’s last year and he wants to leave with a trophy.Well I hope they are right on both counts..

  10. rico says:

    Me too Scott..

    Thanks kelsey. Good question about Theo – is it the player or the way he’s been left to fester without someone taking him to one side and giving him a rollocking? I know the player himself should be able to give 100% but sometimes they need a word in their ear.

    After all, isn’t that what Pep seems to have done with Sterling…?

  11. Canadian.Gooner says:

    Good Morning to The Lady of the House and all fellow Gooners in residence
    Like kelsey, I’m still buzzing! Every Arsenal player that made it onto the field was doing his job and pulling his weight – NO passengers, NO slackers.

    The one that surprised me the most was Theo. I had written him off as surplus to requirements, but he was a changed man. The big question is can he keep it up?

    I wonder if giving up the idea of becoming a CF and having plenty of competition for one of the winger positions has caused him to wake up and see reality? He seems to have given up on trying to impress Arsene to give him yet another chance at CF and is concentrating on doing his job on the wing and being a team player. His work rate is up, especially in tracking back and helping in defense and he is certainly more effective. Time will tell if he will earn his place.

    Having strength in depth means there are no longer few, if any, automatic choices on the team list. everyone has to compete for his place. Surely that must bode well for this season’s competitions.

    Against Notts Forest it was men against boys, for the most part, and our boys won. Maybe this will be the season we have all been waiting for for far too many years.

  12. rico says:

    Morning Cg. I think all that ‘winger/striker’ stuff was put to bed n the summer by Theo himself. Winger he is and no more striker talk apparently.

    Whatever has happened with him, I’m just glad because playing like he did Saturday will cause many defences plenty of problems.

  16. frednerk says:

    Afternoon All
    Great win saturday,watched the game with
    a chav..Double delight.

    Lets be fair we have all seen games where
    we play like that.

    Arsene says..He knew the chavs would be
    slow at the back.
    He said..We were cold blooded..We had to be.
    So are we on our way then?

    Can the fans who have questioned Arsene
    be confident now?

    Before the game the bookies had us at 12/1
    to win the league..

    I can’t help at times wonder if Arsene
    stumbles on wins like this.
    I have not heard him say after a game,
    How he planned a win..Have you?

  17. Obi says:

    City will be without De Bruyne 3-4 week. Let’s see how Silva and Gondogan hold up…. we know he won’t play Toure.

  18. Obi says:

    Imho, by the end of the year AFC will have the best defense and goal against differential in the league. For the first time in years, our back 4 are not left on an Island.

  20. rico says:

    Certainly impressed with the central pairing so far Obi but they can’t play every game. He’ll have to use Holding (no probs) and Gabriel (a worry) at some time or another. At least we have a solid central midfield now too and forward players who are prepared to dig in and track back….

    Long may that remain.

  23. allezkev says:

    Carl Jenkinson back in training…

    Means we can get rid of Debuchy in January.

    I can’t think of many recent signings, taking into consideration Debuchys injuries, who have arrived with a big’ish reputation and totally failed to live up to the minimum…

    Won’t be sorry to see him leave…

    Ramsey back as well…
    Should be ready by Oct 15th I’m hearing.

    That leaves only Welbeck, BFG and the unfortunate Le Coq out long term…

  24. potter says:

    You can only play whose in front of you. The Costa spat undermined him , he will recover. I saw enough of him in Spain to know that he is a useful player to have around. With the Kostafi pairing , Holding and Gabriel it means that Mertesacker can go out to pasture and look back on a great career.

  25. Marshall says:

    Obi, good news for us re:KDB. Last season city drifted away after his injury. He’s their most important play maker. I hope their goals dry up too. Not wishing KDB the worst but we could make the best of his absence.

  27. Le Coq Monster says:

    Dont remember much about my childhood apart from sitting in puddles, but that foul by Jack Charlton on Furnell still pisses me off, Kev. I was right behind the goal and today Charlton would have been booked. My first ever Wembley final and to lose to cheating bastards …………..make that dirty cheating bastards !……………………….that was the time when only the Spuds were hated more than Leeds Utd in my book !………….glad the dirty cheating bastards are in decline ! :devil:

  38. Joaquim Moreira says:

    rico, our performance was good in all senses, everybody is happy and glad, but there were only 3 points. nothing more.

  39. Micko says:

    Spot on rico, you’ll never catch me getting over excited about beating a chav team that finished 10th from bottom last season.

    As for the Ox, he’d look more confident on a surf board lol.

  40. ScottfromOz says:

    JM, fair point, or 3 points in this instant lol, but everyone needs to remember that when we play poorly and win.
    Seems plenty are miserable or wish to downplay the club no matter what.

  43. Tsgh says:

    Scott you need to check out UK telegraph ASAP.
    Dirty news on epl should come out. But the powers that be will make sure it is softened

  45. scottfromoz says:

    Ginge, I’ve got no doubt he failed to spend when we needed to in the last few years, but for a decade or so prior, this is pretty decent confirmation from someone who’s been known to criticise Wenger on occasions, so he’s no deluded spectator lol.
    What’s the dirty news??
    Morning mate…hello all.

  47. allezkev says:

    Morning All

    Seems that the whisper is that Coquelin is gonna miss 2 weeks, probably won’t be back in contention until late October, no need to rush him…

    Scott a classic lack of judgement by Fat Sam…

    Ginge, who do you think won the Hilary vs Donald contest last night?

  48. allezkev says:

    Isco is being linked to Arsenal again, as a possible January signing?
    For a reported £30million…

    Is he ‘that’ good?
    Would he get in the team?
    And instead of whom?

    What do you think Adam?

    Morning Rico

  49. Adam says:

    Morning Rico, Kev and all. At this moment I can’t see where he could play unless Wenger sees this as Santi’s last season. Very good player though who is banging his head against the wall at RM. I can see this being Zidane’s last season there too unless he starts getting better results.

  52. tsgh says:

    Kev- I was more fascinated by the amount of talc Donald was wearing.. 😛

    On a serious note, it is all a charade. The next leader or official spokesperson of the ruling elite was chosen and confirmed by the hidden hands in Dresden the past June…
    Donald and Kilary are 2 faces of the same coin…

  53. tsgh says:

    Lester Holt was the clear loser of the debate- Kev
    Another proof its the electorate who lose every day and not the elites are should look at the hidden relationship between Trump and Murdock when all sky and fox news do is slate off Trump…

  57. tsgh says:

    Adam- its interesting that the media are making it all about Fat Sam…; as glad as I am that he has been found out.

    There is more to this story and the corruptness of English football but as we know the powers that be can not allow a Serie A style revelation and so Fat Sam might take the fall…

Leave your comment.

Discover more from Highbury House

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading