Morning all.
I want to see a team, a selfless team that believes we can win every challenge, tackle and action out there! – Joe Eidevall.
The Emirates stadium hosted Arsenal Women’s first fixture of the new WSL season. It was Joe Eidevall’s first game of the domestic season too and what a cracker it was. Emma Hayes side were beaten 3-2.
Not a bad way to start eh, beating last season’s League Champions. Beth Mead’s winner offside? Never! LOL
Just like the men, the women’s side of the club have made a number of signings this summer.
Mana Iwabuchi (Aston Villa)
Nikita Parris (Lyon)
Simone Boye Sorensen (Bayern Munich)
Frida Manuum (Linkoping)
Tobin Heath (Manchester United)
Tobin Heath is an older signing, the wisest perhaps, certainly street wise, for the want of a better expression. The USA international is certainly what I’d call a committed player, perhaps sometimes over enthusiastic too.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vhivuWMXjqc
It’ll be interesting to see who ends up with the most bookings/red cards come the end of their respective season, her or Granit Xhaka.
Going back to what Joe Eidevall said before his team faced Chelsea, the men need those same words drumming into them. “Selfless and belief, everything they do, or try and do, they need to believe they can do it”. The trouble is though, after three losses, nine goals conceded and none scored, I can’t imagine self belief is particularly high.
The international break came at a good time I think. A different environment can sometimes be a good thing but thankfully, there’s just one fixture left this week.
- Folarin Balogun – England under-21s – Sept 7th
- Sead Kolasinac – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Sept 7th (injured)
- Bernd Leno – Germany – Sept 8th
- Martin Odegaard – Norway – Sept 7th
- Bukayo Saka – England – Sept 8th
- Albert Sambi Lokonga – Belgium – Sept 8th
- Emile Smith Rowe – England under-21s – Sept 7th
- Takehiro Tomiyasu – Japan – Sept 7th
- Kieran Tierney – Scotland – Sept 7th
- Granit Xhaka – Switzerland – Sept 8th (Covid)
There are just five domestic fixtures before the October international break will be upon us again but thankfully, only two matches will take place unlike this one where countries have had to cram three fixtures into two weeks.
Norwich H
Burnley A
Wimbledon H (League Cup)
Toots H
Brighton A
It wasn’t that long ago that you/I would look at the above fixture least and believe that’s 12 points in the bag and who will Arsenal draw in the next round of the Cup. That wasn’t arrogance, just confidence because when Arsenal players stepped onto the pitch, invariably they’d deliver. Now though, I’m far from confident Arsenal will win one of the above fixtures let alone all five. That’s not negativity, just reality.
As Edu and Vinai have said recently, Arsenal are going through a rebuild and fans need to be patient. Whether their message will find its way to the fans I don’t know. Being patient is easy when the journey ahead is clear and although the club’s plan has been made clear to us all, there has to be something to encourage us all to believe in that plan and that in my opinion, will only come from what we see on the pitch.
I know it’s been said before, many times, but the first three fixtures have been awful. The performances have got what they deserved. Defeat. Now though, barring Xhaka and Partey, Mikel Arteta should have a full squad from which to select from. We need to start seeing the Spaniard’s ideas being played out on the pitch. Organisation, commitment and fluidity in our play. Win, lose or draw, a manager can build on that. Chaotic football without structure, he cannot.
Fingers crossed Arsenal don’t pick up anymore injuries during the rest of the week.
See you in the comments.
Good morning Rico. I thoroughly enjoyed the Arsenal / Chelsea game, good attacking football from both sides, five goals and hardly an attempt at simulation. As a bonus the players forthwith the game and, almost, never mobbed the ref.
Anyone interested in a hospitality ticket for the NLD? Food and drink included, available from travel zoo at only £357 a pop.
……the players got on with the game…..
Morning Cicero, I enjoyed it too and as you said yesterday, its only right the women play at The Emirates.
Just as its about time the women’s game had a TV deal, which they now have with BBC and SS’s
The Argentina v Brazil match was a bit of a disaster. Poor stuff from the Argentine players. I hope they get a domestic ban..
Morning Rico, morning smoothies, I saw the goals on You Tube, Mead certainly knows how to put them away also not having 6’6” giants in the goal makes for some entertainment when high balls come into the box, the standard is definitely going up and Arsenal finally have one team that can compete this season.
The continuing doubts over Partey only highlights the clubs stupidity at not bringing in Bissouma, I bet that Partey is going to be in and out of the team all season again with niggles, how can any management team build its midfield plans around a guy who isn’t always fit?
Only Arsenal…
Morning rico, all. I read Martinez and a few Spuds players played for Argentina when Brazil said they should have been in quarantine!
Morning Rico and all
The ladies match was enjoying to watch, it always looked like some one was going to score.
So Edu has a plan can he please tell Arteta and the players what the plan is
Morning Kev, what’s the update on Partey, any idea? Totally agree though, we really needed Bissouma or someone like him.
Morning Andrew, Geoff.
Those Argentine players breaching the rules are a disgrace. Covid isn’t a play thing, it’s real and it kills. Honestly, I hope they face punishment.
The game had only been going for five minutes when a number of health officials walked onto the pitch and demanded that the game be stopped. All of the players, from both sides, travelling from Britain should have quarantined on entering Brazil. The Argentineans immediately flew out of the country.
It’s often been said that footballers are not necessarily the sharpest knives in the box, it was up to the Argentine F A to know and enforce the protocols, so blaming the players is a bit unfair in my opinion.
All of this should have been agreed before they flew in surely?
I think it was Andrew, just a few players ignored the advice.
Players are responsible too I’d have thought. The have minds of their own.
According to reports the 4 players involved will be fined and the ref has reported the issue for a full investigation, sounds like all 4 players belong to 2 different premier league clubs. No matter what excuse the officials use this is a disgrace.
Buendia and Martinez from Villa, the other two were Spuds.
Nice bit of political opportunism by Bolinaro who has been getting all sorts of flack from his public and who better than the old enemy to make the statement.
As for the players quarantine should strike possibly in Argentina and then again when they get back here .
However football always thinks it’s a special case so things may be let slide.
As far as Britain is concerned any player visiting Brazil, which is on our red list, must isolate in a designated hotel for ten days on their return. There are no Arsenal players listed in the Brazil squad. Three from Liverpool. Two from Manchester City. Two from Manchester United. One from Tottenham. One from Chelsea. Two from Everton. One from Leeds. One from Villa.
Which means Villa and Toots should be without their respective players for at least one fixture, maybe two.
Michael Oliver for Norwich with Mike Dean as VAR .
Riley stacking the cards ?
Rico, according to Jeorge Bird both Nketiah and Partey were involved in training today, so hopefully they’ll be available for Norwich?
Saturday is the kind of game where the officials show an even hand and could actually give Arsenal some positive decisions lulling us into thinking that there isn’t an agenda against us before shafting us again in the NLD…
You read it here first…
In the four games, three EPL and one League Cup, so far the officials have awarded 7 yellow cards and 1 red card against Arsenal. In those 4 matches our opponents have been given 2 yellow cards!
How can we be both a weak team and at the same time a dirty team?
It makes you wonder Kev, doesn’t it?
It makes you wonder doesn’t it Kev?
Do you think the PGMOL employ bias? Surely not! It’s just a coincidence! Fake news! The integrity and their honesty cannot be called into question. They portend to be honest brokers BUT stats tell a story and they can’t LIE.
I feel a crusade coming on……
The referees and there bosses will give the standard answer when it comes to us.
The Arsenal players don’t now how to tackle and give away 2 many silly frees were the other clubs are more care full when they tackle.
as for us being so weak there answer to that is, It’s not our fault Arsenal don’t know were the goals are.
some times it seem that Arteta has gone to the same school as the ref’s.
( I think we done well today and I can see improvements it’s all part of the plan to rebuild the team )
Good Morning all ye lovely people.
three and a half more months and its Christmas.
Geoff…..you pointed it correctly……….other clubs are more careful when they tackle. But you forgot one basic thing….where to tackle and who tackles to stop the flow of the other team.
One instruction I always used to give my players was that whenever we lost the ball it meant everybody behind the ball and the player nearest the ball has to tackle, unbalance, nudge, get into contact with the opponent who has the ball. I used to instruct them to do this rotationally. And we rarely got yellow carded or even red carded……because it was just a case of unbalancing the opponent by getting in his face and obstructing him. Ref whistles. Foul given. And by the time the ball is kicked all the team was behind the ball. And such fouls always used to happen in the middle or attacking areas….rarely in our defensive area. The same instructions applied to when the ball was on the flanks of the penalty area. I used to instruct players to give the player space near the touchline and then foul him there. That was like a corner to us……and that meant the ball was stopped.
I know that it shouldnt be done that way…. but its called being street wise.
Of course I never gave these instructions when I was coaching below 16 year olds…..below that I used to let them play as they know with their intelligence, skill and innocence. But beyond 16 and above those instructions were drummed in their heads.
That is called tactical fouling. Not the same as that ugly mug (his face is really a scarecrow) of Gary and his brother and the rest of the team did to Reyes circa 2005. That is called rotational fouling. Tactical fouling are the small unbalancing nudges which disrupt the flow but they are harmless. I also told the players that deck tackles were the last resort….otherwise tackle the player standing up. Because a player on the deck means a player lost to the team for a good two seconds. Enough time to cause a break in formation and the opponents to muster an attack.
But we are Arsenal…and AW always instructed the players to play cleanly and no fouls. Barca used to do that type of fouling…..it didnt stop them winning did it.
The last player we had that was a master of it was Gilberto Silva .Just enough but not too much . Of course he was also a master of positioning and reading the game and did not find himself in no mans land and be forced to make stupid tackles like our present incumbent .
He was the player that was not appreciated until he wasn’t there.
I loved Gilberto, not the quickest on his feet but his footballing brain made up for it. If only Xhaka could read a game like he could…
New post up now by the way.
Morning all