Daily Bits and Bobs

Worrying about facing Chelsea is bad enough but, it gets worse! Defender winning his fitness battle ahead of final.

Posted on by rico

Morning all.

Tomorrow it’s the FA Cup Final, a fixture we should be looking forward to but with injuries/suspensions hitting us hard, I can’t say I’m overly excited at the prospect of facing the league champions. I guess you never know though as on the day as Chelsea could have an off day and we might play a blinder. Against Everton, a team meant to be on the rise, we played pretty well. Even when down to ten men we prevented them from scoring in open play so there’s hope although we’ll have to hope Anthony Taylor is at the top of his game and fair.

But that scenario is highly unlikely as over the few years he’s been classed as an ‘elite’ referee, he’s hardly done us many favours. Not that we want favours, just honesty and to make the right decisions.

It’s probably fair to say that Taylor is not one of Arsenal fans favourite officials nor I doubt is he Arsene Wenger’s and it’s sad really to think we go into such a big game with concerns over the officials. It shouldn’t be that way as every, or certainly most referees at this level of the game should be honest, unbiased and reliable.

Back on the opening day the 2013/14 season, Taylor awarded Aston Villa two penalties in a 3-1 loss at The Emirates, dished out nine yellow cards, four a piece, and a red to Laurent Koscielny!

Next up was another loss for us, this time at the hands of Stoke City. A late sending off for Calum Chambers ensured we weren’t going to get an equaliser when it looked like we might. Arsene Wenger wasn’t impressed with Mark Hughes tactics that day either. Roughed up we were in a game which produced three bookings for each side as well as the red. Again, Arsene Wenger wasn’t happy, especially with Anthony Taylor.

In May 2015 a home match against Sunderland was another contentious match officiated by Taylor. I think Giroud was subjected to a few tasty tackles that day but Taylor was having none of it. Penalty ref? Nah, he wasn’t giving us anything.

Finally, the spat with Arsene Wenger. Taylor was the fourth official on that day earlier this season and after the Frenchman was sent to the stands, there was handbags between the two. Wenger was hit with a four match ban. Ouch!

Chelsea haven’t lost a match this season with Taylor in charge but the good news for us is that when we last played them at Wembley in the Community Shield, we came out winners thanks to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and guess who was the referee? Yes, you guessed right…

Let’s hope the man from Wythenshawe doesn’t hold any grudges for the little push and heavy criticism earlier this season eh.

I’m actually surprised he’s been appointed to officiate this match with the history between him and Arsene Wenger but then most referees in the Premier League aren’t much better either…

Finally, Alex Oslade-Chamberlain was in full training yesterday which is good news but there was no sign of Mustafi or Gibbs, although the latter is reported to be winning his battle to be fit. He may not be everyone’s cup of tea but numbers at the back are short, we are desperate.

rico

43 thoughts on “Worrying about facing Chelsea is bad enough but, it gets worse! Defender winning his fitness battle ahead of final.”

  1. gnarleygeorge9 says:

    Good post rico,

    Awful goings on coming out of Manchester this week. It saddens me.

    Anyway, on to the FA Cup, when The Arsenal played the same formation as the chavs early on in the season, defenders weren’t needed. The chavs were wiped like a dirty arse. So why can’t we do it this weekend?

    I won’t be around to watch the game, I’ll be in Melbourne on a ‘boys’ footy weekend, Saints v Dogs @ the Dome then 90,000+ @ the ‘G’. Who knows what happens after, hopefully my beloved Tiggers will win.

    I reckon The Arse can win. It’s a one off game, & no one, but no one does the FA Cup like old Frenchie. I appreciate that the wankers from the Kings Road are favourites, but I prefer being the underdog. Nothing to lose, just hit them from the start, & I mean hit!

    1987, Young Adams & Co, young Holding & Co, Charlie Nicholas the winner then gone, Alexis the winner then gone. It just makes sense. Get behind the team, coz Chelsea deserve shit. I wipe my arse with them?
    COYRRR

  2. allezkev says:

    Morning All

    Morning Rico, good post.

    It’s a hot one today and the weekend looks promising…

    Anthony Taylor, let’s be honest, hates Arsenal, doesn’t like Wenger and is the perfect pick from the PGMOL to stitch us up.

    If Arsenal finish the game with eleven men on the pitch I will be amazed…
    Our players will need to be whiter than white.

    It’s all set up for a nightmare afternoon, I really cannot shake off that feeling of dread.

  3. rico says:

    Thanks GG.

    Didn’t Chelsea make changes after that game and reaped rewards.

    We however, waited until we’d lost many games to make any kind of change. In desperation I’d say…

  10. Wavy says:

    I’m full of foreboding about tomorrow’s game.
    Just can’t see us not conceding goals and I can’t see us scoring more than them unless they totally capitulate as per RvP’s hat trick at Stamford slum. Realistically it just ain’t going to happen.
    A good performance might be the best we can hope for.

    Blue skies here, again and very sultry.

  14. rico says:

    Same hear Wavy.

    Gg, little as it’s a one off match and yes I will be watching. All I’m saying is, as far as the league goes, AW left the changes to the system late, Chelsea however made them earlier and have it almost perfected. We however, haven’t imo, and even those who do play well at the back are either doubts or missing…

    I expect little to nothing from tomorrows game..

  15. frednerk says:

    Afternoon Rico and All

    I Know the word negative and stats
    are not used a lot these days..But
    The thought of the BFG walking out with
    the team is to scary for me..To think of.

    If Arsene picks him and he fluffs it early
    wembley will look the last few games at Em’s.empty seats.

    Watched a couple of games JTerry played in recently,he looked
    like a tourist walking around london.
    This football is to fast now..The Chavs are the champs.

    Maybe if were playing Hull or Villa we could have got
    away with it…

    Underdogs..You can say that again.

    No negative or stats used for this one..Just Hope.

  19. Herb's Army says:

    Hi Rico and HH’ers.

    Perfect FA Cup final weather.
    I guess all we have is hope, but even if we do win tomorrow it’s a completely different scenario than in 2002.
    Two clubs going in opposite directions, and Chelsea’s lust for success has left Arsenal treading water and looking lost.
    28 years ago on this day, Arsenal won that dramatic winner-takes-all title shoot-out at Anfield.
    We could do with that spirit at Wembley tomorrow.

  20. bumba11 says:

    Afternoon all,

    Lovely weather, Friday Feeling, im out tonight and looking forward to it……yet i cannot shake off the feeling of impending doom that come tomorrow evening we could have not just lost the cup final, but have been embarrassed in it.

    The players really need to go out and show some grit, and some true fight. That is the only way i feel we can get anything other than a beating.

    Still, look on the brightside, least the Chavs beat the even scummier team in London and we arent faced with the prospect of Kane and co lifting a trophy after beating us……that would be too much to handle!

  27. BT62 Gooner says:

    Rico, i know what you saying, what club in their right mind would sign an injured player…lol

  34. gnarleygeorge9 says:

    Morning all,

    At departure lounge waiting 4 a plane. I guess The Arse will be up against it, I was on the Dark & Stormies last night & was full of bravado.

    Anyway, I know what you mean re the pending coop tie. It’s the one coop most Australians have only heard of so we think it’s the big one that you stick match sticks in your eyes for @ some ungodly hour.

    Still, it’s up for grabs. Remember 2005??

  36. Dublingunner says:

    Evening , on an earlier point re: “formation change” To me the fact that it only took Conte one league defeat to change to a winning formation, while it took A.W nine league defeats before the penny dropped says it all,
    he has now convinced himself that along with blaming the fans, it is also the board that is to blame for his side’s dismal performances this season for refusing to back him,

    Last season he blamed a ‘difficult climate’ at Arsenal for our title failure, then treated us with disdain by saying, we were manipulated into opposing him by the media and we should be more like Liverpool fans.

    This season he has again layed blame on the fans by saying the horrendous atmosphere at the club was a contributory factor in his side’s failure to finish in the top four.
    For a man who is so keen on total control of the club, he doesn’t half find a lot of external reasons why things dont go his way. Fact is too many times this season the team have let themselves down, “that is not our fault”.

    It,s the clubs mediocrity that has bred the fans contempt. This and previous seasons for most parts we have witnessed very average, rudderless, sometimes comical, disjointed and laboured performances. Mediocrity only happens when we settle for it. A culture of mediocrity systematically destroys the confidence and self-esteem of individuals,

    Eventually those individuals may grow tired of that culture and leave, or will lose the spark that could have led to great things, and clearly that is what has happened at the Club.

    Arsene wenger can deflect the blame all he wants at the fans or the board, but the fact is he responsible for team selection, tactics, transfer policy, player recruitment and coaching, and ultimately our decline.

  37. Wavy says:

    So true.
    It is ALL HIS FAULT
    Teflon only lasts so long. Wenger’s pan is back to the stainless steel and there’s no return from that.
    He cat ties the can for all our failures. Long gone are the successes. Mostly on the back of previous,managers. ( including Rioch = DB10) well only DB 10!

    Time to go and accept your pension old chap. You’ve probably,earned it. One thing is for certain you have outstayed your welcome and, are beginning to smell like,5+ days old,fish☹️

    Black as pitch here but, still a little bit,sultry. Roll on tomorrow, 26 degrees C. Lovely. Can turn the central heating for the ‘summer’ at last.”quids in”.

    Tomorrows a big day, so I’m off for,an early night!

  39. Wavy says:

    And, ‘for’ should be, “off for the summer”
    It is late, you know! These are not all typos! They are down to ‘late night loss of control’ !!!

  41. Adam says:

    Morning Rico. So, at last and after what seems an eternity, it really is the last day of our season. I hope we can finish it in style and that the club can move on. In a generally upward direction of course.

  42. rico says:

    Morning Adam. I’ll be glad when the final whistle blows. Hopefully what follows will be positive for the club and the fans..

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