Before I proceed, I must thank The Gunners FR for allowing me to use the cover image.
Well, games are coming thick and fast. We are playing twice a week and the fact that we are competing on both fronts must be posing a conundrum to Mikel Arteta. On one hand, we are top of the league having won all but one and chasing a Champions League finish – though I believe we are title contenders this season. On the other, we are playing home and away midweek games, there is a good chance we can win it and ultimately qualify for Champions League.
However, this is a bit detrimental to the squad’s performance. We saw against Bodo/Glimt last week, when players were not playing to their full potential and looked a bit tired. Zinchenko is missing games because of injuries, Jesus was left out of the playing XI, Ramsdale is playing with a thigh injury (though it’s Matt Turner starting in Europa).
We have learnt our lesson from last season when couple of injuries derailed our top 4 chances completely. We have got options for most of the starting positions. In defence, versatility of Tomiyasu is coming as handy. White can play at RB and CB. We have a solid defender in Holding who can cover the Europa games. In attack, we do miss Smith Rowe. Vieira can cover for Ode but ESR has played at wings earlier and as things stand, you can’t replace Martinelli or Saka without seeing a drop in our performance.
Midfield is our biggest concern. Partey is a must in important games but is injury prone. We have to protect him at all cost for when it matters. Xhaka is built of steel but can you name a replacement of Partey and Xhaka without compromising our performance? No, Sambi is not the answer. I have complained earlier about our negligence to fix midfield, Edu and Arteta did try to sign Luiz from Aston Villa but you can’t wait for the last day to finish business. We should have strengthen our midfield last year, I am really hoping we do this winter.
The fact that we are fighting on two fronts, with limited options in midfield and on wings, requires a very careful squad planning from our Manager. Arteta hasn’t really impressed with his rotation tactics till now, but I hope he improves and believes in our bench a bit more. I don’t mind seeing Marquinhos, Nelson and Eddie starting against smaller teams in Europa.
If we are 2-0 up at 70 minutes in a Premier League game, Saka can be subbed. As fans, we want to WIN ALL, we can’t afford to concentrate only on either Premier League or Europa and that’s why it’s more important than ever.
Match Day
We are playing PSV today at Emirates. We need to finish at the top in our group to qualify for next round and avoid play-offs, which makes today’s game crucial. It would be interesting to see what team Mikel prefers, but I’m hoping we will see Sambi today. I won’t mind KT starting today in place of Tomiyasu, whom we need in Premiership in absence of Alex.
I would also like to see Eddie playing complete 90 minutes today. Fabio in place of Odegaard? Yes.
I doubt we are going to risk our wing positions, so another start for Martinelli and Saka today (?). If we are winning at 60 minutes mark, sub them. I am no manager and I’m an emotional fuck but I can see Saka is over-playing. I love to see him in every games but that would be a short term vision. We need him for next 30 PL games, and few important games in Europa in the later stages.
Right, that’s all for today. I would love to read what you think about this conundrum.
We have reached a very small milestone, LondonIsRedCom on Twitter has 200 followers now. Yay! Rome wasn’t built in a day!
Hey K’Phobe, Junior and I have had the benefit of spending literally nearly 4 months a year for his school holidays. I made sure I was never away during those months and our bond developed as it would most father/sons ion a similar situation. The ADHD connection helped Junior come to terms with it as much as me.
As for biking, when we lost a brother a couple of years ago and I made a video of the MC funeral, junior said he’d rather stick to 4 wheels. The international pres gave junior – junior patch member rights, as he was adopted into the club. The MC club is all about family first club 2nd.
The wheels have completely come off Liverpool – if they seriously can’t get it together top 4 is a pipe dream.
I see Patino scored for Blackpool against PNE in the derby today. They’re probably going to try and take him hostage rather than give him back to us.
Forest 1 Liverpool 0. Oh dear.
I thought Forest might nick a draw but to win where they could have won by 2 or 3 is perfect for us. L’pool looked toothless and out of ideas. Our kids are better and VVD is less commanding. Klopp has much to do to get the Bin Dippers firing again.
Yates looks a good player.
Tony
They play 150mph football and have no midfield – it’s going to take some serious surgery to get them back to where he had them.
Marc
Seem to remember during and since Covid Klopp has wanted more recruitment than he got. Now Pool are paying the price. Chav’s Manure draw would be nice and we’ll see how well Potter has settled with his squad.
I was one of the angered ones when we sold Auba.
His 3 misses so far, just confirmed I was wrong. He is sold.
Ambarish
As always when Arteta’s involved it isn’t that Auba was sold – he wasn’t we paid him millions to leave what makes it even worse is we’d just put him on a huge new contract – why? If Arteta didn’t think he was the right type of player for what he needed don’t offer the contract, if you’re not getting the right vibes from the player about commitment don’t offer the contract.
The fact that Chelsea paid money for him 6 months after we paid Auba to leave just rubs salt into the wounds. The next one will be AMN – turned down almost £20 million for him and will be letting him go on a free next summer.
In any other highly paid job with a managerial position this kind if incompetence would see you pushed out of a very high window.
Especially in Russia Marc.
Missed the Chavs v United game but happy with the outcome. Now if Newcastle can do the same at the Toilet Bowl or even take all 3 points, then results have pretty much gone our way.
Onward to Southampton neighbour of Bournemouth but that’s where the similarity stops.
S’hampton is a busy port next to the Royal Navy’s port at Portsmouth. Bournemouth on the other hand is where the wealthy snow birds go to retire and the money managers with their pier de terres on Sandbanks (Harry Rednap), Poole and Bournemouth.
Southampton should be very winnable. One win and draw then three losses on the bounce and time for us to finally put the bogie team to rest, Their BFG has always been a thorn when we needed points.
Not saying this is going to be an easy game for us, it won’t be and we still need to rotate Jesus; maybe leave it to Martinelli, Eddie and Marquinhos with Sake and Jesus on the bench.
We need to start playing 96+ minute games with playing possession front foot football.
0:2 to us is my prediction this morning with the caveat of not knowing who Mikel is playing.
AK Auba was a real conundrum at the time leading up to the contract renewal. Mikel should never have caved giving the ridiculous contract to Auba. If he wanted to give a contract, it should have been loaded with financial targets for goals and assists. If Auba didn’t like it, he should have been showed the door.
It’s that simple for an experienced manager, DoF & contracts manager.
However, as we witnessed in the All or Nothing series, we pandered to Mikel losing £100+millions in the process. Auba was Ozil MKII. At that time we were a £2billion+ going concern being run like a SME.
12 months or so on and we look to be being run better financially, although our TWS purchases have been loaded/leveraged on the club’s debts/worth, such as not paying clubs to take our dross and actually investing in players who will a give a decent ROI. A rarity under Mikel & Edu.
With us appearing to be acting like a club with a long and sound historical and financial pedigree where the squad is acquiring players who fit in their natural positions, and add value on and off the field, then what of Mikel?
So far so good, I’d say sitting at the top of the table. However, will unlearnt lessons from the past 3 years come back to haunt Mikel and ergo us? Can whoever is reading this confidently say Mikel won’t repeat his mistakes?
I can’t. See you at the game lads and lasses if you’re reading.
The Aubacle (Auba debacle – geddit?) was staggeringly good business for Killroy’s dear friends(!) Barcelona. In effect, they got paid by us for taking him and then made a shit load of clear profit selling him to Chelsea. I maintain that in a fair world, Arteta would be fined the same amount that Chelsea paid for him.
Not much of a cricket fan but you can’t skip an India v Pakistan.
Not looking good though, Kohli only hope left.
“12 months or so on and we look to be being run better financially”
I’m not so sure – AMN as I’ve already mentioned, spending £50 million on White who after one season is now being shoehorned into a position just to keep him on the pitch when his replacement was already on the books, Vieira who does look a good player but £35 million for back up when we have no midfield is crazy.
All managers make bad signings – it’s just how things work out but Arteta has the impulse control of a fat kid in a sweet shop.
Ambarish
It’s incredible how Pakistan can self-destructive in that way. They should never have lost that game with 5 deliveries to go. And playing a clearly nervous spinner for the last over? A massive no-no. Babar is a terrific player but I question his credentials as a captain. India got away with one. I didn’t see it all – was there any mankadding? Only joking…
A fat kid in a sweetshop just about sums it up. The Soton line up doesn’t look too threatening. No wonder they are where they are. If we can get our passing right, I think we’ll have too much. 2-0 with goals from Jesus and Martinelli.
Any defence that let’s Xhaka twaddle into the box and have a free shot like that are in serious trouble.
Marc
I agree. Soton look really poor. No energy, no press, Jo threat.
Hasenhuttl sporting his 80s terrace hooligan look today, rather than either of his other two looks : hard-up country squire or provincial geography teacher.
KP
I have had given up when 2 overs were left.
Day is only getting better. I don’t know if I should send my apology letter to Xhaka with a GOAT picture yet.