Morning all.
I guess sometimes one has to accept an opposing team is better than us. More advanced in their long term plan and better at executing it on the pitch. Sure, it’s frustrating, annoying even and invariably we think a different starting eleven would have done better, a different formation or tactical change would have reaped reward. Reality is, football is easy whilst managing/coaching from the comfort of our armchairs, or from a seat in the local with a pint in hand.
It’s obvious something isn’t quite right in the way we defend against teams like Liverpool but I suppose there are two ways of looking at yesterday’s defeat. Accept Liverpool are at their peak or we are simply poor. Or, keep in mind that we’re missing three defenders whilst trying to integrate our summer signings who arrived quite late in the transfer window and are playing in England for the first time. Not Luiz of course, he knows the Premier League inside out but is yet to learn that tugging a players shirt in the penalty area will invariably result in the referee blowing his whistle, pointing to the spot and producing a yellow card. What a chump. Talking of chumps, I thought Xhaka got away with one when he plonked his studs into the foot/ankle of one of the Liverpool players.
Liverpool threw everything bar the kitchen sink at us from the off and through determination, dogged defending and a little bit of good fortune perhaps, we held on for 44 minutes. As the home team fired in a corner, it seemed we focused too much on VvD. Shirt pulling, a bit of pushing and shoving involving him, Guendouzi and Sokratis I think left Matip free to jump and head the ball past Bernd Leno.
Despite all the pressure put on us by the home team, we did create a few chances of our own. Pepe with the best when he found himself one on one with Adrian. Our record signing fluffed his lines in a similar fashion to last weekend when his shot lacked the kind of finish it required. Give it a week or two and I reckon he’ll be burying those kind of opportunities, after all, even the great Henry and Bergkamp needed a few matches before they starting firing on all cylinders. Another chance sailed just wide of the post, as did one from Aubameyang.
Liverpool’s third finished us off but a late and well taken goal by Torreira made the score line appear a little more respectable.
I’m disappointed we lost, who wouldn’t be but rather than jump on the critical bandwagon, I thought we absorbed the Liverpool pressure pretty well. Initially we looked all over the place but I felt we settled more as time passed. Even though we went behind just before the break, I didn’t think we were out of the game at all. Luiz gifting them their second was the killer. It was totally unnecessary and foolish, yet so David Luiz. One minute brilliant, the next a liability. I’m sure Unai Emery will have something to say to him about that.
Pepe is going to cause defences all sorts of problems that’s for sure and it’s only a matter of time before his first of hopefully many goals come. Ceballos struggled to get into the game too but understandable really as I doubt he’d have played in such a high tempo game before, or one in which he had so little time on the ball. Torreira getting more game time under his belt was a positive too and as much as hindsight would suggest he should have started the game, let’s not forget this is a player who looked dead on his feet in the latter stages of last season and has been playing through the summer.
It might sound like I’m trying to make excuses for our defeat or defending Unai Emery’s team selection etc etc but I’m not. I’m just a realist who accepts that Liverpool, Man City and even the Toots have a more settled team as they’ve worked on the training pitch and played matches together for a long while now.
Arsenal however, are still building, still working towards where those other clubs have taken two/three seasons to get to. Not only are we without Holding and Bellerin but also Tierney, who despite not ever playing in England, is tipped to have a great future with us. Willock is relatively new to all this too as our are new signings so perhaps I’m just more forgiving, more patient too.
Losing at Anfield won’t cost us a top four spot that’s for sure but I’m certainly glad we only have to play there once a season. In the league anyway.
Enjoy the BH weekend guys…
A realistic assessment of yesterdays events.
We will get there !
We are a couple of years behind Liverpool in our recovery after the decline of Wenger’s latter years. E.G. we still do not make possession difficult for the opposition.
Yet in other ways, Chris, we are decades in front of Liverpool because of Wenger.
Premier League titles.
FA cup finals.
Invincibles.
Stadium.
Morning all.
Same old, same old every time we lose.
Of course this playing out from the back and strange team selection is down to Arsene.
When will it end????
Thanks Terry.
I agree Chris, the mess Wenger and Gazidis left ran deep. We’re still just twelve months into our recovery and that imo, is too shorter time to expect us to be where the likes of Liverpool are.
And let’s not forget, they’d won nothing until last season.
Wenger needs to sort out our defence ASAP ffs 🙂
Arsene must teach our strikers to finish the simple chances ASAP.
Bloody Frenchman lol
A very fair & realistic report.The hyperbole on some blogs is unbelievable.a 2nd string defence again at Anfield,new players to install & get up to speed,only 3 games on.jeeez the need to get s grip seriously.Had we taken those early chances i & Louisa not had a brain fart.it might have been a very different story.as you say Highbury.patience.The impossible we can do.Miracles take a little longer.
Thanks Uwot. If’s and buts eh…,
4 down, 6 to go 🙂
Morning Rico and all. Yes, a fair assessment I would say. I’m not too disappointed and won’t be dipping into the shoulda woulda coulda basket of tactical retribution this morning. When you get beaten like that you surely need to ask what you learned and the stand-out for me was that we need to join up our defence and striking options on the field. Xhaka is never going to be good enough and he is always a yellow and subsequent red away from disaster. But he is what he is and if we want to play high energy football with rapid transition then he will always stick out like the proverbial sore thumb. Torreira looked good in that advanced role and his celebration toward the beach after his goal looked to me like a reminder to Unai that he needs to be out there from the start. If we can secure the right powerful CM general in January then, with our recent additions, we will certainly be better. It won’t be cheap but it is essential.
Morning Adam, if we didn’t have two players on massive wages, who we can’t sell because of it, that elusive midfielder we so desperately need might have been afforded by now.
I can’t see Torreira not starting soon, in fact my money is on next weekend when the Toots step across the border.
Totally agree re Xhaka, I’m hoping this captain stuff and him starting might encourage another club to make a bid for h8m before the European window closes. Wishful thinking I know but I really can’t see what Unai Emery sees in him. He’s a liability to say the least.
Rico. At least we seem to be on a forward path now. Unless it’s a false dawn that is😃
No false dawn Adam, I’m convinced. Lol
I hope so Rico.
We must retain our post-Wenger confidence.
Indeed we must Adam…
Klopp took a couple of years to make a difference to Liverpool. Yesterday was uncomfortable viewing, but some perspective is called for. And lots of teams will lose by more than a 2 goal margin.
Cricket getting interesting.
Hi Limey,
First time any of you have mentioned the cricket for a while now 🙂 🙂
Still, if they’re good enough to chase down such a large total, hats off to your lads, but no celebrating from those who’ve remained so glaringly silent of late 🙂 🙂 🙂
Test cricket-there is nothing like it.
Ha ha Scott,
only sing when we’re winning!(it’s not over by a long way)
Fair play, the Aussies have the better bowlers, England’s strength is batting – just we haven’t showed it yet.
Limey, I don’t think England’s strength is their batting right now, not in test cricket imo. With a fit Jimmy Anderson, our bowling unit is very strong. England’s batsmen have given away their wickets cheaply, some to really average bowling, others have simply been beaten by a good delivery.
Our batting has been terrible, apart from Smith, Limey.
Bloody enjoyable series so far, though, no matter the result.
I’ll wake in the morning up to a result that either sees us retaining the Ashes, or a series that’s absolutely alive and kicking so really, it’s win/win!!!
Love it 🙂
G’day all.
Getting a bit worried Scott. 238 for 4 at lunch. 121 runs needed with five sessions to get them. Slowly, slowly catchee monkey.
These two could see it out, or we could see yet another batting collapse.
Sleep tight.
It looks like Monreal is off to Real Sociedad. After his display yesterday, when he never got near Salah, it looks like a good move on his part.
Cicero,
Good to see you discussing the cricket again 🙂
Worried?
Nope, it’s just a game.
I’ve been more worried about the disappearance for 48 hours of my pommy mates lol
What a game, awesome batting by Stokes and back up by Leach. Extraordinary cricket.
I have to admit that the Aussies were robbed by an awful decision by the umpire. But they had already wasted their last review an over or two earlier.
Cheats never prosper as my old cricket coach used to say…..lol lol lol
😂😂 Lee.
Sandpaper Smith straight back for the next Test
Jofra will soon bounce him out Kev.
Ah yeah Sir Jofra Archer, you’re right again as usual Rico
Makes a change I thought Kev.. 😜
Hi Guys,
Van Djik did a similar shirt pull on Pepe in the box, in the first half. Inconsistent refereeing is really a problem. Happens a lot in basketball over here. Usually to the better team’s advantage. Having said that I have no complaints about our performance. I think against most other teams we would have won. Liverpool showed the advantage of having played together for a long time. It was almost like they could read each others minds. Sometimes teams just lose from being inept. I don’t believe that was Arsenal – they didn’t just lose , Liverpool flat out won. They are playing the best football I have seen in a long time. We should hold our heads up with the way our team played for 90 minutes.
Wasn’t that one reviewed Reg?
Just when I thought a cr☺p weekend for sport with Arsenal, and my home town team Southend being 3-1 up away , then throwing away a lead with one minute left, only to lose and have zero out of fifteen points…….I
Tottenham lose at home, and we fight on in the Ashes! Bravo Stokes, after Woakes and Broad offered no support our steamed up glasses-wearing no 11 shows how to hang around! Mind you he lost his head and would have been run out 9 out of 10 times. It would have been such a key down for the Ashes to be lost his series. Great drama
# let down
(wish we could amend posts!)
#mid-series!
Evening all and thanks Rico.
Arsenal are still in transition and we lost away to the CL Champions who last season accumalated 97 points…………..better than our Invincibles total !………………….so a loss was not unexpected, so I`m not phoning The Samaritans yet !………………………now Spuds losing to Barcodes , England winnining from a seemingly impossible position and more importantly, Arsenal Women thrashing the Spud Bitches 6-0 !…………………I think it`s been an acceptable weekend !…………………….beat the Spuds next weekend and I will be ecstatic !
You lot make me laugh 🙂 🙂 🙂
You have been in hiding and suddenly everyone wants to talk about the cricket again hahahahaha
Solid fans-NOT 🙂
Hats off to the United Nations, and especially that Kiwi lad, Stokes 🙂 🙂 🙂
Great performance from your lot and keeps the series alive which is great as nobody wants two dead rubbers.
Brilliant stuff from the players but you supporters need to up your game.
Sing when you’re winning, indeed, hibernate when you’re losing seems the way with English fans 🙂
Spuds losing has balanced the ledger for the week 🙂 🙂
Sensational stuff!!
It’s called keeping ones powder dry Scott… you should try it sometime…
Scott, I decided not to talk cricket on here after your crass remarks about Broad. Not walking is done by 75 per cent of batsman.(not correct but that’s how it is). To compare that with Aussie lying after being caught cheating is laughable. Anyway I decided not to bite and not discuss cricket on this forum.
But today was so good, that I and others have every right to comment and enjoy it. Don’t need to be told when can comment and be told not a solid fan thanks.
Don’t forget the barmy army comment too Andrew, that irked me too. Anyone would think the Aussie fans are saints on their own turf… pff!
Hardly rico, players and fans nasty comments partly responsible for a certain England player returning home with mental problems!
and gloating ‘4 down, 6 to go!’ ruined my first hour as I had it on record 🙁
Andrew, of course you can choose when to comment, but it’s a shame the English seem to also choose when to support 🙂 🙂
Rico, maybe we should all just stay quiet until Arsenal win then lol
You all seem to enjoy hang on the result more than the contest.
What a test match!!
Shame you were all hiding and missed most of it 🙂 🙂
The series is alive and kicking thanks to the exploits of a Kiwi bahahahahahahahahahaha
You lot are the worst winners on the planet lol
You should be relishing this moment, not whinging about comments on the Internet!!
Are you teenagers???
Happy to give, happy to cop it back.
Well, some of us are 🙂 🙂
Trott Andrew or Trescothic? (Spelling)
Ah, no wonder you weren’t happy, still, he who laughs last eh…
You can’t even laugh though, Rico.
Seems that it is a bitter victory for you.
Smile.
Enjoy.
Take the piss out of me.
Enjoy the moment or is that too much to ask 🙂 🙂
Right, off to work now as guess what-the sun still came up this morning because it’s only a game!!!!!!!
All stand up for Sir Ben Stokes OBE, an Englishman of impeccable style.
DRS is a wonderful asset, but if you’re too dumb to use it intelligently, then you get what you deserve…
You really are odd Scott. We don’t need to be vocal on here to prove our support of our country. Some of us know when to ignore the crap you dish out just to get a reaction.
Think you’ll find Ben Stokes is an English citizen, being born in New Zealand makes little different really.
As for the ‘are you teenagers’ comment. That’s low!
I’m not a teenager, over 60 actually and have no wish to take the piss. I admire Paine for his dignified speech after losing, especially after an awful bit of umpiring, not so your judgmental comments.
Even David Blunkett would have seen that one pitched outside the line Kev. Lol
Trust me Scott, I’m laughing all right. For now.
More sour grapes Scott? Archer West Indian, Stokes New Zealander. Now the supporters only support when winning.
Just accept that after blowing our batsmen away in the first innings our bowlers restricted your mob in their second innings and made your bowlers look decidedly average as the entire team lost their discipline and threw away a great chance clinch the series.
Let’s see how things go at Old Trafford and then The Oval.
Oh, and I think Stokes has sussed out Nathan Lyon as I’m sure you will agree.
Showed his class there Andrew. Nice to see a few Aussies still have some..
Kev, people want VAR to get the right decision.
Worst review in history, the earlier one, but the latter one was out yet the rules don’t allow the correct result to eventuate.
That’s why I don’t get the point of it-the technology is good but the ways it’s used isn’t.
Broad’s still an utter scumbag though 🙂
Tsk tsk Rico, don’t be nasty else I may get “offended”.
Nah, I leave that to you poms hahahahaha
You’re confusing me with someone who gives a toss if you do Scott…
Cicero, seems none of you can handle banter when it’s handed back at you.
Strange that.
I should be copping it but it’s one sided 🙂
No Rico,
I’m not confused at all, believe me.
The claws come out at me often enough lol
Sandpaper is good for filing claws down Scott….
It’s good for many things apparently…
The point is Scott, that Paine wasted a review, you could see that he wasn’t really convinced but he still went ahead and wasted a review that could have won the test, that’s why I said it was dumb, nobody to blame but himself and he knows it and that’s why he hasn’t whinged.
The Umpire, caught up in the hysteria, wasn’t going to give an LBW if he wasn’t 100% sure and if there’s any doubt, as you know, then the benefit goes to the batsman, so not out and that was that, but that doesn’t excuse the missed run out moments before, Lyons will have that on his conscience for the rest of his career if England win the Ashes. There was plenty of opportunities for your team to win, but they lost their bottle at the end, it happens and it’ll happen again.
I like Stuart Broad btw, he doesn’t give a fcuk and would probably fit in very well in the Australian dressing room…
Test cricket isn’t for shrinking violets, that’s another reason I like him, he reminds me of Dennis Lillie, Jeff Thomson, Merv Hughes and Craig McDermott, none of them gave a fcuk either, but when they’re on your side I guess you acquire selective vision and memory…
Btw, have Australia got a South African and a Pakistani playing in their Test team?
Now that’s just not cricket old chap 😉
Oh I know they absolutely wasted that review, Kev.
Desperation I guess, but if the technology is there to ensure the right decision is made, maybe teams shouldn’t have a certain number of reviews.
Just a thought but anyway, great result, the series is alive and bring on the next one.
Rico, as long as Warner is around I can’t guarantee it won’t happen again!!
Maybe if he spends 3 years in England, you lot can adopt him, the sandpaper gig only gets a few game suspension there so all is well 🙂 🙂
He’s a cretin, imo, and I truly wish he wasn’t representing us.
Broad is a smug prick, imo, Kev.
Terrific bowler, no question.
Fancy comparing him to the great Mervyn Hughes, though 🙂
As for your “selective” comment, explain my utter disdain for Warner.
I call it as I see it.
Kev,
We do have our blow ins and I’m amazed nobody has picked me up on it lol
They’ve all been too busy getting offended 🙂 🙂
News just in…..David Warner is English.
Born and bred in High Road, some part of Nth London 🙂 🙂
Will you guys take him??
Rico
Just got back home. I watched the game live and I don’t remember a review. But then again I’ve been told that I’ve got CRAFT. Can’t Remember A F*****g Thing 🙂
Reg, I reckon I have that too as I can’t remember either. Lol
I think I’ve woken up with tinnitus too….
Morning all, another beautiful sunny morning..
Hell of a day to be there, Reg!!
Sensational.
Good morning all, 30 degrees forecast for later today. I’ll be sitting under the apple tree reading all about a certain event in a West Yorkshire town that took place yesterday. 😎
Revel in the moment, Cicero-you all should 🙂
New post up now