Let’s not fool ourselves. We are playing against Man United, with a relatively new manager, with lots of new players with little or no chemistry and Harry Maguire. At home, any point dropped against the current Man United is a loss. Most importantly, we have strengthened our team spending 200m+ and winning these sorts of games are the difference between a Premier League winner and runner ups.
WIN. Anything less is unacceptable. It’s a home game with 60k people cheering their hearts out for 90 odd minutes and the players and manager need to give them back the same love.
Right, that’s on the emotional front.
Arteta was out there justifying Havertz’s performance in his first three games in Red and White, by referencing Ben White at RB experiment, Saka’s movement from LB to RW, Xhaka’s performance, Odegaard’s first two months and then some more. The only problem with this analogy is that, we were re-building a team at that time, and we lost a lot of games in that process. It’s 4year+ for him as Arsenal manager now, and if he expects the same judgement for a player bought for 65m, then he is deluded. Kai will be judged harshly. Mikel will be judged harshly. Every player and staff that’s seen on camera will be judged. Because, we finished second and we spent money to be better than that.
In the team news, Tomiyasu is back for selection after a red card. I’m sure now Partey is going to start at RB because Arteta is stubborn and I was wrong in guessing that he will switch back to the playing XI that worked pretty well for us last season. Kai is going to start again. Nketiah, after doing well for the game time he has got, will be replaced by Jesus because… why not.
The only things consistent in the current setup are Saka at RW, Martinelli at LW and Arteta’s stubbornness.
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It’s going to be a long season with lots of games, and we have let go Holding for pennies and Tierney on a loan. Timber is injured, leaving us short in the defence. Or, rather, Edu and Mikel thought it’s a good idea to let two defenders go after discovering that a player they brought in has sustained a season-long injury. If they cry for help later, they should be shut down by someone at the club. You can’t create problems at first and then ask for a fix.
I’m sorry, I was frustrated when I found out we let go Holding for a meagre 1m to Crystal Palace. It’s not like CP plays in the Championship. It’s not like Rob Holding is a bad defender who is here at Arsenal for 6 weeks. We are talking about a defender who has won things, at one of the biggest clubs in history and is still 27 years of age. 5 solid years ahead of him.
Anything less than a win against United is just going to further alleviate this frustration.
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We must win against a poor United, with no CF, Varane out with injuries, Onana still settling and Then Hag only aware of counter attacking football. We have a team in form, with no significant injuries and a much better bench in Trossard, Rice, fit ESR, Nketiah, fit Tomiyasu etc. There are no excuses, let’s beat them and show who the boss is.
If you still ask me, I would like us to settle back to White at RB and Gabriel + Saliba partnering at CB. Partey in the midfield, compliment with Rice or Kai. Nketiah should start ahead of Jesus.
We should also be careful about the f*ck ups we do once in a while. Champions are concentrated for the whole 90 min in their minds, even if their body doesn’t support.
I hope we end the weekend on a good note. A win will boost the player’s confidence and 10 out of 12 points is a good place to be in. This is going to be a hell of a season, and we need to make the most when we can. At some point, we will be visiting Anfield and Etihad, where ‘not losing’ would be a good result, so let’s make the most of tomorrow.
Right, that’s all me done. I’m in the clouds celebrating my 31st with little or no network, but will be back by tomorrow’s match.
Hope you are well, and having a good weekend.
Cheers.
Ten Hag contradicting precisely calibrated, electronic measuring equipment when talking about Garnacho’s disallowed goal.
‘it’s not offside’. What a Klootzak.
I’ll take the 3 points all day everyday, but that doesn’t fix what tactically ails us…now this might provide us with the necessary impetus to push on over the short-term, albeit the inter’l break is forthcoming, but this was more fortuitous in nature than a tactically-inspired victory
the most befuddling component of this whole supposed script overhaul is that it has actually made us more compact and predictable…in the early days under Tets, there was too much wide-side bombing and pointless crosses into empty boxes…phase 2 saw us adopt a more possession-based, sideways borefest, with two deeper-lying DMs…in phase 3, the only real changes saw Xhaka in more advanced spaces, with Zinchenko tucking inside as his somewhat positional replacement…this latter system was more progressive because Xhaka wasn’t slowing down everything in the middle of the pitch, which likewise enabled us to still maintain some adequate width and commit more men in and around the box…so this off-season’s acquisitional brief should have read as follows, replace Xhaka with a more progressive passing midfielder, who had double digit goals in his boots, sign a suitable Partey replacement, as he appeared to be on his way out, and shore up our depth at several positions, especially those in the final third…by doing so, we could have threatened in a variety of different ways from within the same formational structure, as this would have allowed us to employ an inverted back, at times, attack with width and be far more direct, which would have immeasurably aided our oft-times double-teamed forwards…instead we went off the board and paid way above the number for a tweener, in Havetz, who has neither the ability to pick a pass, nor score on a consistent basis…as such, we could require a whole host of snatch and grab victories, like today, which typically isn’t a recipe for success at the highest of levels
Morning all
KP
Made me laugh your last comment.
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Well? What do we make of that other than being happy for the win and potentially our season starting from here with only the loss of 2 points in 4 games?
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Had we started as we were meant to go along we would probably have full points and settling in nicely. I feel for Havertz, but I stand by my thinking that Havertz is a naturally slow thinker trying to fit in a game that is played at breakneck pace. He’s always going to be a fraction behind the game, as he was at the Chavs.
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Selection wise had we started with Jesus and Trossard at 8, we would have scored much earlier. Eddie is not a big game player for us. Whether that is Arteta’s doing, I don’t know because I was watching Havertz more closely who I’ve come to believe is too lightweight for our PL in strength and mentality with no grit in his play, which we are beginning to see now with Vieira who is finally adapting to the pace and physicality of the PL.
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An ineffective 8 goes a long way to nullify Martinelli. Our wingers need good service and help to move around defenders and deliver a good chance to be put away. For 4 games now Havertz has been ineffective.
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I hope we are not going to get a repeat of Willian from Arteta with Havertz.
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Zinchenko and Tomi after him were ok at LB and inverting into the MF where both at times played along the back 4 depending who had moved where. The same happens with our midfield; all interchanging and at times finding themselves in the box to fire a shot home off 3 deflections. It worked is all that matters..
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Our play is not hard to see and will be even less difficult to defend against, but it was hugely effective last season until the injuries. I’m also happy we had Manure early in the season and wished this had been at Old Trafford.
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As soon as Maguire came on I knew we’d draw or win. It wasn’t a prophecy just that Maguire is a complete numpty.
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At least we kept pace with Pool and City with 3 goals to lay our own marker down.
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The big question now is what will galaxy brain do next?
TRVL
Talking sense and Arteta in the same sentences doesn’t work I’ve found. Was similar with Wenger’s last 10+ years. Your tactics are spot on and Arteta’s are not and never the twain shall meet. 🙂
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We live in LIR hope.
Marc
Must have been a great game to be at. Looking forward to your live eye test comments we can’t get from cameras.
I meant to say happy three one for your birthday Ambarish. Nice to see the boys deliver a three one on the pitch yesterday too!
Hi Tony
We’re led to believe that TP is injured, the formation changes as a result and we win. Do we owe victory in advertently to Partey’s absence? I refuse to give Arteta any credit for that win because a fit TP would have started at RB, and Rashford (who looked threatening throughout) would have had immense fun breaking quickly down Manure’s left, as he did for the goal of course.
By the time TP returns, we should be in the midst of 2 games per week, in which case TP, Rice and Havertz can be rotated (please!) . But for fuck’s sake, let’s see no more of the rb inversion bullshit. The back line looked good yesterday for the first time this season too. I thought everyone played at or above their levels yesterday. Granted, Manure were under par, but they still have an ability to score even when playing catennaccio football.
I’m staying glass half full with Havertz. But he needs a confidence boosting performance soon. And a goal or two wouldn’t go amiss. Martinelli was his usual brilliant self – I think Saka had moments but he was heavily marked. Ode showed up and contributed and Jesus getting that goal (his first ever against Utd apparently) will have worked wonders.
Generally pleasing – Arteta’s hand was forced by TP’s injury and, as we predicted it improved the performance.
Finally Rice. Outstanding yesterday – terrific player who’s going to go far. He and Bellingham will rule ingerlish international football for the next 5 years.
Sorry not finally – Big ups to Pumpkin for arranging that marginal but correct offside and the Rice and Jesus goals. Feline big dick energy in action!
Manure still plagued by some mightily villainous cunts despite Greenwood’s departure to the Spanish penal colony of Getafe. Added to the usual suspects, ie Fernandez and Martinez, we now have that showboating twatty goalkeeper. A team of wrong uns. And ten Hag’s ‘not offside’ comment was ridiculous.
If only we’d not conspired to let 10 man Fulham equalise against us.
Hi Vieira
Keep those analyses coming mate. Your reading of games (like Tony’s) is perspicacious. Mine, by contrast, are hopelessly based on emotions which help to explain why I was a mediocre player and even worse coach!
Two come from behind victories for me this past weekend. The less said about Cardiff the better…
I was a mediocre player and even worse coach!
Just realised that Arteta and I have something in common….
KP
,,😜😂
That is Satan-2 level
https://tbrfootball.com/matthew-upson-raves-about-top-27m-arsenal-player-he-reads-the-game-perfectly/
Importance of Saliba. In fact it was illustrated last season end when Saliba got injured
In yesterday’s roll call of red devil wrong ‘uns, I stupidly neglected to include that vicious, overrated bastard Antony. Bet you’re glad he didn’t sign for us.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/sep/04/manchester-united-and-brazil-face-calls-to-drop-antony-after-assault-allegations
MacTits has a huge Havertz train wreck on his hands. Is Arsenal stronger or weaker with Kai Bergkamp in the squad? Judging from what happens when he is off the pitch, much weaker, when is this train wreck going to end? This will be his Waterloo.
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Don’t get me wrong I love the Havertz signing, because it will be the reason MacTits will go down in flames over that signing. Almost puked over MacTits antiques on the sidelines. Arsenal games get harder and harder to watch.
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From the game it became apparent how predictable Arsenal has become. Opposition will block playing through the middle and let Saka and Martenelli have the ball all day long and they in turn will try to beat their man, if not we go into the very familiar U shaped playing style passing it back. Then perhaps a cross into the box with only midgets to head it. This is the reason we scraped by on our present games.
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MacTits idea of versatility was on display in the 70s with the Dutch Total Football which ended not too well. Arteta knows fuck all when it comes to setting up playing formation for the opposition. It hurts me to say this but Postecoglou will hand him his ass on a silver platter in the NLD.
Killroy
MacTits had junior and me rolling in laugher. Thanks for that one.
New post.