Daily Bits and Bobs

Winger quits Arsenal! Wembley record in our favour & Arsene Wenger expects Arsenal to win tomorrow.

Posted on by rico

Morning all.

It’s FA Cup weekend and we’re involved. Yippee!!

It is a match between two Premier League teams who are very close to each other in the table, so that means it’s very open and certainly you will be a bit more on your toes mentally. – Arsene Wenger.

Us and City might be close in the table but when it comes to the football, I’d say we’re gulfs apart. Perhaps the only thing the two sides have in common is having a dodgy defence but with Vincent Kompany having recently returned, City will no doubt be more assured at the back. We remain without Shokran Mustafi who has a thigh injury and Lucas Perez. Danny Welbeck is a doubt too with a toe injury.

Arsene Wenger has also said that going into this game we are the underdogs and there’s less pressure on him and the team to win the competition than there was back in 2014 when we scraped past Hull City. I’m not sure many Arsenal fans expect us to come away from Wembley tomorrow afternoon with a return trip next month in the bag, I really don’t. Mind you, if Tottenham beat Chelsea later today, I’m not sure I’d want us to be in the final.

It’s sad though isn’t it? Instead of fearing a final against our north London rivals, it should be something to relish knowing full well we have every chance of beating them as we used to, but these days, that’s simply not the case and just writing that makes my stomach churn.

But it is what it is and it won’t change under the Frenchman.

Wenger has said publicly that he opted for three at the back against Boro because he wanted to stabilise our defence having conceded many goals away from home this season. Well, it didn’t stop Boro from scoring, nor did it stop them piling on the pressure in attack as the home team had thirteen attempts on goal with five on target compared to our twelve shots on goal with just four on target. We did have 65% of the possession although as often, we didn’t really make it count. Yes we won, but that’s where the good ends, the match itself was simply more of what we’ve seen before and that’s not good.

Personally, I think if we play three at the back against City tomorrow, Pep’s side will roast us good and proper. With four at the back we’ll struggle too as Sterling, de Bryne, Aguero, Sane Jesus (if fit) Silva, the list goes on will cause us problems time after time.

The midfield battle will be key and if we can win that one, we might have a chance but it’s been porous all season, certainly since Santi picked up his injury, so I can’t see anything changing there.

It’s an opportunity to win a trophy this season. What I expect when you go into a semi-final is to go to the final.

I think Arsene Wenger’s expectations are a tad ambitious, don’t you?

But you just never know. If Lady Luck is on our side, the wind is blowing in the right direction, the grass cut to the right length and watered well, we might just sneak it…

After all, we haven’t lost at Wembley in years now…

Bit of transfer news:

Southampton have completed the signing of Nathan Tella from Premier League rivals Arsenal. The 17-year-old winger has spent the majority of his youth career with the Gunners but has now made the switch to the Saints.

I am delighted to have signed here. It’s just a relief to know that I have found a place that I can settle down and crack on with my future.

Southampton are no fools when it comes to young players so it could be we’ve let another one for the future leave a tad prematurely….

rico

59 thoughts on “Winger quits Arsenal! Wembley record in our favour & Arsene Wenger expects Arsenal to win tomorrow.”

  1. andrewh1313 says:

    Morning rico, House. Feel in a state of limbo myself, must be the AW situation affecting us all. No expectations, even excitement has gone. Very odd place at the moment.

  4. Kel says:

    Nice post…

    I’ve barely even thought about the match tomorrow. tbh I don’t even care that much beat 3-0 win 3-0 it doesn’t matter.

    I simply can’t stomach Wenger anymore and I just know Arsenal are gonna do it the hard way with him, the fucker will sign a new contract and most likely will have to be sacked halfway though next season leaving the club looking for a manager mid season ?

    A good manager knows when it’s time, a proactive club would be looking at the best candidates now and making moves..

    But no not The Arsenal.. we’ll go down the league screaming and kicking before change will happen.

    My guess tomorrow 3-1 City..

  6. Kel says:

    Maybe Rico… but as ya know as a fan of course I wanna see the club do well.. but sometimes tough love is required.

    I see Perez is still injured fs he’s barely played.

  7. rico says:

    What will be will be as far as the match goes I guess Kel. In any case, his future shouldn’t be decided after one match, but the last 6/7 years…

    Perez is a mystery….

  8. allezkev says:

    Morning All

    There’s a multi-million lawsuit being held by the city of St Louis against Kroenke, regarding the LA Rams move to Los Angeles.

    Now imagine if he lost and had to spend millions in damages, how would that effect Arsenal.

    Would he siphon funds away from Arsenal, leverage loans against Arsenal, both limiting our ability to compete for top players?

    Or

    Would he sell up?

    Morning Rico

  11. allezkev says:

    It rained earlier today Rico, just what the garden needed.
    Have a good day out in the garden.
    Off to work for me, trying to avoid Chavs and Spuds. ?

  12. frednerk says:

    Afternoon Rico and All

    Bruce Rioch wanted to change the way The Arsenal played
    he was a ball player himself and with Dennis went for change.
    He liked three at the back..
    But he upset to many people at the club and Arsene turned up.

    Reading back Big Tones book Addicted..He says….
    He told Arsene to play three at the back when he played that system.

    Like I said the other day,we could get done down the flanks
    To-morrow.
    Pep likes counter attacking down the flanks..
    Surely Arsene knows that..Surely.
    Nurseeeeeeee

  14. rico says:

    Afternoon Fred and all. What a lovely warm day it’s been.

    Why am I not surprised it was someone other than Arsene who suggested three at the back. I wonder who suggested it for the Boro game…..

  15. Joaquim Moreira says:

    I found a nice postcard from Arsenal among my things from the 70s/80s of the last century

  16. Le Coq Monster says:

    Evening all and thanks Rico.

    I had an official Telegram from Arsenal when I got sentenced….sorry ….married in 1976 !

  19. Le Coq Monster says:

    Honest Rico !…………………….bloody selfish to have the wedding when Arsenal was playing Newcastle at home and it was Super Mac`s first game against his old team !…………..he scored a Hattrick in a 5-3 win !…………………lucky enough it was the main game on MotD, so we got back from the wedding do above The Robin Hood pub next to Weavers Fields in Bethnal Green and I carried the missus over the fresh hold and noticed it was about two miutes before MotD started……………….so I had a dilemna !…………………wife`s dream wedding night or MotD with Super Mac ?……………………I`m a man, so cant multi-task, so I did what any Gooner would do…………..I gave her the best two minutes of her life ! hahaha

  20. frednerk says:

    Match of the Day Rico..Simple.

    Out with the west ham men last night….
    One of them has a season ticket that cost just..£148.
    The other two fans have tickets higher up..£300ish.
    both are changing to the £148 seats next season.
    Talk about taking the piss.

    No disrespect to our great fans..But
    You are all creating this monster by paying well over the odds.

  25. frednerk says:

    I remember reading a comment from the club
    when we moved over the road.

    When the question was asked about ticket prices
    being on the steep side.

    Football is an entertainment,What would you pay to
    watch a top show in London.

  45. Le Coq Monster says:

    Just looked at the score and thought exactly as you Rico…………………lets beat City now !……………..one Spud dream ended………………if someone can post a photo now of some Spud fans crying at Wembley it would make my day ! hahaha

  46. frednerk says:

    Thank god my old man never supported the Yids
    Talk about Cock it up every time.
    How do you become a Spud other than DNA.

  51. Wavy says:

    Typhoon tea packets back in the age of cardboard. I still have a few of the teams in a box in my loft. Many have had some of the faces removed! I used to cut the chosen few out and stick them on my 2 dimensional Subbuteo players, to add a bit of authenticity! How sad was that? Sadly the cardboard,Subbuteo teams are long gone but, well it’s all nostalgia these days. ?

  53. frednerk says:

    He was millwall Potter.
    My brother played for millwall though.

    Thats how go’s mate
    ..What about you.

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