We took a point against Liverpool at Anfield. I had been complaining in the past about our lack of goals from headers and set pieces but the team has turned it around lately. It was the 11th goal from set-pieces, not counting penalties. We were almost levelled in possession (49-51), had equal number of shots (13) and only one short of shots on targets compared to those scousers (2-3). It was an intense first 30 min and some very good football from both sides.
Not-so-much-positives – Zinchenko. I know Salah has cooked almost every left back in the league on multiple occasions but we knew from the beginning Zinni wouldn’t be able to cope up with Mo. It was a shame Tomiyasu is out injured or he would have started ahead of him. I’m pretty sure Mikel knows about this and that’s why we went and brought in Timber. We didn’t have options left, Kiwior starting against Pool at Anfield? No. I would have gone with Zinni too.
Playing a high line and aggressive football comes with a problem – you are open to counter attacks against a fast paced team. We saw in the 71th minute how within few seconds, Raya and Declan Rice were up against 4 of the Liverpool players, with Salah doing what he does best with the ball in his feet. We were lucky, Trent’s shot hit the bar. On any other day, it was a beautiful counter attacking goal.
Did you notice the pitch? They certainly had watered it down more to suit their long balls and slow down us. Martinelli slipped or that would have been a goal. Saka slipped and Tsimikas picked up an unfortunate broken collarbone injury (karma!). Liverpool direct style of play and long balls gives them an advantage in such cases. They had done it against Ream Madrid in UCL earlier, they did it against us.
Good. We need the teams fearing us.
Away from the Premier League football, the European court of justice has ruled in favor of Super League, not allowing the UEFA to maintain a monopoly on football. Every Premier League club has re-iterated their stance of not interested in joining them, but lets not forget the top 6 had it signed previously before the fans took over. Lets not forget football has become more of a business for the recent owners. If you haven’t noticed yet, Sportbible is already running stories about the new format suggested by A22 – the company behind the new Super League and how the format has changed based on merits now. Pretty soon, the internet will be filled with such articles and we would be made to believe that it is probably not a bad thing.
Global followings for every club has grown in recent years. With internet and cable, anyone sitting in America or India can watch a game live, order a tshirt from the official Arsenal store and receive it within a week. This extra revenue allows the club to spend more which in turn gets you trophies and more international followers. It’s a vicious cycle.
I have been there and lived the atmosphere for about 3 years. I understand the soul of football. However, ask any overseas fan and they would love a competition where Arsenal or Manchester United plays against Read Madrid or Bayern on weekly basis. There will be supporters of it, and sooner or later the British audience will have no other options than to participate.
That’s my prediction. Not today, but in 5 years things are going to change. Is it a good thing? No! Will it happen? Most likely.
Liverpool has overtaken us in the league but we are playing West Ham at home tomorrow and we are going to reclaim our top of the league position. I would love to hear what you have to say for our state of play, the pitch saga, and the Super League in the comments.
This playing-from-the-wings needs bullsh*t needs to stop. This anti-football sideways and backpasses should stop. Mikel has sucked the joy out of our games, even if we win most of the time it’s a boring game with countless passes among our players achieving nothing. Sure, it wins football but what happened with winning like Alex Fergusson or Wenger used to do? Or the likes of Klopp’s are doing currently.
I will never rate Pep above Klopp and for the same reason, I don’t have much affection towards Arteta. Boring cu*t.
And frankly I don’t know how he can make Saka and Martinelli play that bad. They are much better players than we are seeing in week-in week-out.
We have seen the story – Willian, if you remembered the name.
KP other than the goal we were never in it. Silva had Arteta in his back pocket after the goal and we retreated as if there were only 20 minutes to go in the game.
Marc, not just Ode but it’s our trade mark football to keep the ball love it as if you will never see it again is the shout from Arteta’s beautiful.
Did we win? No but the beautiful we played we deserved to win Arteta would twitter. Winning isn’t everything Wenger said, it’s ze mental strength with qualidee football.
Marc, you had me laughing out loud with your summary.
Ambarish, could you define the ‘anything’ as in not winning anything please? If you add more than the PL or CL cup, you will have to stand in the naughty corner repeating “I should not lower my expectations, this is a quallidee Arsenal blog”. It’s ok Ambarish we all slip from time to time.
We cannot create in the final third. We have Arteta induced creative constipation. It’s shit basically, but only smells bad with nothing coming out of the business end.
KP, I’m ringing your Arteta train bell loud and clear.
What a year lads. 2024 in 33 minutes and time to think about Nepal after.
Whatever you all wish most for the New Year, I hope it’s the least you all receive in 2024.
Ambarish, he is simply overplaying our key players. They have a drop in form first then they break. It’s the generational Arteta way.
Happy new, year Tony to you and the family. All the best.
Thanks KP and to you and yours.
I hope Spain is very soon for you all, and I hear the moving in parties are legendary particularly in Catalan and can last a week for guest and a lifetime for you and your family. 🙂
Not much of a footballing New Year for you TRVL. I wouldn’t put yourself though it, the game was only good if you support Fulham.
The new song from U2 for Havertz is “we can’t win with or without you”.
Bake away brother and think of Nepal.All the best.
Bob must be taking in badly with no Art Fraud post yet. Should we check the hospitals?
Another truly gutless and guileless managerial performance…ahead after 4 minutes, following a gifted goal by another of MA’s ill-suited Emi replacements, instead of putting Fulham to the sword we immediately shifted into full retreat mode, like it was the 76th minute…keeping in mind that we were playing a team who had earned a total of 3 points in the last 15+ matches against us and who have likewise conceded the 2nd most goals over the last 3 matches
opting to stay the inverted RB course, even though both Kiwor and Tomi are ill-equipped to do so, we predictably looked disjointed and bereft of answers…we don’t break with pace, we don’t make opposing defences to work with our movement off the ball and we rely far too heavily on players, like Rice, who can’t pick a pass if their life depended on it
so even when it’s clear that the inverted gig needs to be shelved for the time being, instead of making some tactial tweaks, our amateur hour manager leans in further…we didn’t even have a corner until the 78th minute…you would think when we’re struggling for goals we just might be instructed to push the ball into deeper spaces in the hopes of getting some set piece opportunities, especially considering that we’ve scored more goals from dead ball positions than anyone this season…this is why it was so short-sighted that Marts would be sacrificed before the very player that’s most responsible for his regression this season, Havertz…at least Marts will earn you some corners if you give him even a modicum of cover/help
as it stands we’re a blunt instrument with no real set piece specialists, in front of goal, and/or players who could reasonable score from distance…like I said before, my great fear about our Rice acquisition was that our fragile and timid manager would lean too heavily into his defence-first inklings and as such we would start to look eerily similar to the West Ham squad of last season, who struggled mightily for goals…don’t get me wrong, I admire Rice’s qualities, but he can’t be your centerpiece figure, unless your looking to win a shitload of mind-numbing 1-0 affairs, as he can’t score worth a shit and he’s a bang average passer…simply-put he’s no Rodri…to make matters worse, instead of getting a more adventurous Xhaka replacement, to take advantage of what Rice brings on the defensive end, our not-so-dynamic duo went off script by recruiting the highly flawed and ill-suited Havertz
what a groundhog day shit show…as it stands, it’s not outside the realm of possibilities that MA could lose the very room he himself carefully crafted, even though many of his moves made little sense to many outside observers and cost well above the number…the fact that he was so quiet on the touchline speaks volumes about the state of the franchise, especially knowing the importance of this win from both a standings perspective and considering the amount of ousted former players being deployed by the opposition
imagine having such an anemic offensive scheme that you couldn’t even muster an attempt on goal between the 33rd and 65th minutes…if MA’s plan was to put Eddie in the shop window, it backfired in more than one regards
Just wanted to wish you all a happy new year. Haven’t been around for a while,under pressure,but am determined that 2024 is going to be a good year. As for Arsenal,we’ll leave that be for now!! I hope you and your families are well and have a good night and a great year. Athbhliain faoi mhaise daoibh.
Sorry Tony, had a party to go to, and this cunt was not going to spoil it.
The cunt repulses me, I am a reasonable fella, but I can’t be mugged off by fraudulent slags, who think they know everything, when they actually know fuck all.
He was a cunt in 2023
He will be a cunt in 2024
HNY.
HAPPY NEW YEAR ONE AND ALL!!!
Happy New Year all.
The first day of the 2024 and MA looked bereft of ideas walking to the dressing room.
Being of sound mind, ok dubious I know, I look to the positives first; our star players. Problem is they’ve regressed into lost oblivion of Arteta’s tactics or rather the lack of them.
TRVL, that’s exactly what happened. The commentator said Silva was mirroring Moyes tactics after their 2nd goal that was dense centrally pushing our feeble possession football just inside their half to the box in 30 passes and then we give the ball away because we have noting to offer centrally.
You could see it because it was so well drilled where on my huge screen it was emphasized all the more.
Their back 8 was a well drilled machine with sum of the parts making it near impossible to get into their box to take the 100+ touches before we shoot.
When your number 7, 8, and 10 combined with inverts getting in the way, have to trap the ball and look up in their final third, you know they are not going to find meaningful penetration.
Rice who is a CB originally shooting from distance looks like a CB shooting from distance and zero good at it. How many goals did Xhaka get in 9 years who was supposed to be a screamer collector? He collected 8, maybe?
I guess Arteta’s tactics with Rice is that the ball could ricochet like a pinball machine and find the back of the net with 6 assists on the way.
Sadly, the message hasn’t been fully understood between Rice’s ears where all his efforts have been high wide and handsome. Not an in off a red to be seen unless it’s Manure or Pool doing. Sometimes even Forrest.
If we didn’t have Rice, Arteta would be gone by now. The lad is a colossus as a 6 is decent in central MF, but that’s where his journey should stop and let the lads do their jobs in front of him. Arteta? He wants to turn Rice into our all conquering hero as assist being and 10+ goals in the bargain.
Then Mikel wakes ups and that’s when it all goes wrong with Arteta-the-Penetation-less.
I want to talk about Arteta’s pre-game tactics.
Now his in-game management.
Ok, now they’ve had their best points evaluated to the point of nothing to discuss of note or merit, we can move onto the current TW.
Our current FFP standing is, I believe, very tight. If I got it right, we have no margin and have to sell first.
Arteta can only see polished gems , such as Rice who he’ll be sure to break by mid February. Any takers with 10/6 odds? Timber was another gem Arteta broke quicker than I even thought possible. I mean that has to be a record, right?
Kiwior is not a gem and never will be. He is marginally better than Zinchenko but cries less if you’re looking for a bonus. Other than that, they are both shit defenders and the only thing Arteta is likely to polish is his bell-end. There’s been no sign of Arteta’s polishing elsewhere.
Frequently, and in public I fear with the amount of times Arteta is called a wanker! I mean how do they know is what I want to know? Not that I want to see Arteta with a set of tweezers in his grubby mit.
Our first game for 2024 is a little matter of entertaining L’pool at home in the FA cup. Now, in-off-a-red could well happen in that game in fact it will not be a bore-less draw if we take our last 2 losses and the way we lost into consideration.
I feel, being serious for a minute, that the end is nigh and out TW dealings will be poor because who, as a young high ceiling player, wants to play for Arteta?
They want a proven manager who cares about their footballing careers. Can you imagine the chatter going on among the top agents repping the stars we want. Arteta got lucky with Rice with Caicedo on the open market at the same time.
Klopp, was happy finding excellent potential players to restock his MF and did it in one go. They are even playing well together in their first half season together, but then Klopp is a serial winner, and where Arteta is the opposite. Pep buys his trophies.
Finally, I wonder about how stupid Josh and Stan really are where it comes to all matters Arteta?
Arteta completely blew the last 2 season’s run ins. Now, he’s having his customary run in train crash a bit early. I mean almost half a season early after hanging in there with dubious last ditched results fanboys said is what champions do in a title season. LMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!
How will Stan and Josh react?
I have no idea because they seem to have extrapolated vision that all will be well in the end, such as CL football this season after almost 4 years. Emery might well do it in one. Had Emery had His choice of players he would have done it last time with us. That is indisputable missing out by 1 point.
8, 8, 5 and 2nd and now looking to be possibly 5th or 6th and Europa again?
Only a lucky Covid FA cup saved Arteta’s scrawny ares.
These are the rambling facts.
Let me throw this over to my esteemed colleagues and Ambarish’s 92,000 readers.
Where do you expect us to finish this season?
I think 5th/6th as I predicted at the beginning of the season. Fanboys be dammed.
What will Josh and Daddy do?
Probably believe more BS from Arteta and put us further into corporate debt with loans and leveraged money.
Sadly, I’m a free man at 68. I mean you can’t be ‘Lord of the Flings’ at my age, can you?
My pupil son has become my gym trainer. Junior finally getting his chance for revenge for the no pain, no gain motivating for the last few reps. Actually, I’m looking for ward to it. I’ve lost 11kg in the last 12 weeks, and needed to, mind. 6 more kg to lose to see my 6-pack again. You also get hanging skin.
Some men have what appears to be a foreskin around their bellies where the skin hangs.
How many of you just looked at your bellies?
Have a good one LIR I’m just finding reasons to be cheerful part 1 and working my way toward 2 and 3.
a great live version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIMNXogXnvE
That’s the beauty of muscle memory and silly people believing muscles turn into fat. They don’t they just become shy (remember lads when the wives complain about being fat) shy it is because if you lose the fat?
Viola, quelle supris there is your 6-pack, non? It was there all the time.
Arteta? still looking fort an 8 and wats to sell ESR and sold Willock. It’s what? nearly 5 years Mikel has had to fix our midfield?
It’s still not fixed. We have gaping holes in it every game. Rice is playing football’s version of Twister! Trying to fill holes, and assist, and score goals. Our own very special Roy of the Rovers.
https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=narcissm&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8#vhid=B_1Ac39LX1VmkM&vssid=l
Anyone recognise Arteta from the above information. It’s why he’s galaxy brain.
His rapid speech and gesticulations certainly qualify him for ADHD and probably OCD to add to the NPD mix. The OCD will be his disbelief his ideas didn’t work. In his world they did even when we lost.
The guy is alphabet soup. Take that as read from a guy whose family is a mix of alphabet soups.
If you’re not mad, you’re lost in this family. My problem was finding sanity again. It upset the one sided balance.
Just checking through some live tunes and came across this KP and thought of you because the sing has great lyrics.🙏😎🙏
https://g.co/kgs/6xHy5MB
Song*
“Arsenal are now open to selling Jakub Kiwior in order to raise funds for their January spending”
Another One Bites the Dust https://g.co/kgs/5R6pMfx
Tony
We paid €25 million for him – what are the odds we sell at a considerable loss?
You’ll know when Arsenal insist on the deal being for an “undisclosed fee”.
OK so we sell Kiwior (forget the fee and how much we’ll lose on him) what happens when Gabriel or Saliba need a rest or more likely get injured?
You can move Ben White into CB but then bang Tomi’s out injured again and a week later Zinchenko pulls a hamstring. Timber is due back in Feb / March but for fucks sake the guys had an ACL rushing him back and then over playing him could fuck him permanently.
So we end up playing Rice as a makeshift CB – we’ve sold Partey in Jan so our midfield is now Jorginho or Elneny plus Havertz and Ode.
Anyway you look at it its fucked up, stupidity beyond belief and a situation of Arteta’s own making.