West Ham v Arsenal – Match Day Blog

I watched the game with a Hammers-supporting mate. The outcome was pretty inevitable even when they scored their second. Dominant display which was more straightforward than I’d expected. I agreed with him that neither pen was clear cut – Flappy was only a split second late catching Gabriel on the side of the head but he did catch him. The other one was very minimal contact by Paqueta who had a terrible game. Our generally good record against them continues.

LF – welcome mate. I think I speak for everyone in here in saying Nwaneri should be given more time, but at least competition is properly fierce these days.

Caught the game this morning and happy we are 3 for 3 with 9 points, at the 3rd of the way through the 9 games we need to win to bag 27 points.

What can you say from a very poor Hammers team who still managed to net 3 with one disallowed, against the 2nd best defense in the PL?

Partey was missed for me, Rice still can’t take corners and Ode & Saka were too unprotected by Taylor. I can see Ode’s ankle going again the amount of kicks and raked studs his ankles have to endure. Ditto Saka who takes too much punishment that has to weaken the ankles.

We were never in any danger of dropping points, but it wasn’t the emphatic victory we enjoyed against Forest. 2 pens and a set piece formed the bulk of our goals, where Trossard’s and Havertz’s tap ins were well crafted by Ode and Saka a tighter defense would have likely stopped. It was training ground too easy.

Ethan should have started instead of Jorginho who is better suited in cup games, and Marts should have had the chance to add to add goals to add confidence for the tougher games he needs to be clinical in.

We went through the gears often too slowly throughout the game. If this had been at the run in, you’d easily think West Ham were thinking of beaches and their impending holidays, so insipid was their performance with and off the ball.

I’m going to make a bold prediction that all the home teams today will win their respective 3 points. Chavs will beat Villa, Manure will make hard work of beating Everton, and Spuds will get a home win against Fulham, but I’d love ESR to nick it for Fulham if the script plays out differently.

That leaves Slot vs Pep. What a game to round off the weekend’s football? I think Pool will get the points with City looking so bad of late, but you can’t write Pep off from using this game to mount a resurgent challenge, and what a statement that would be!

I’ve nailed my colours to Slot’s impressive start to the season, and this is where Arne can say “catch us if you can” with taking 3 home points from City. Anfield will be up for it where the game could go 2 ways: a cagy chess game snuffing each other out or what I’m hoping for in an end to end mesmeric game of football that ultimately ends in a draw, so a win win for us.

A great line up of games to savor today.

A mouth watering game we’d prefer a draw, as it dents pep’s chances further and allows us to get 2 points closer to Liverpool.

I’ll be up for that one as it’s 11pm and a landmark fixture.

Our next fixture is Manure at the Emirates Wednesday evening game, which kind of makes their game against Everton one to watch to see how Ruben Amorim is changing things up?

tbh it was sort of a mixed bag affair

the home side was rather dire for much of the match and the lopsided scoreline reflected that indisputable fact…it’s clear that Lupe’s attempt to flip their former manager’s tactical script on it’s head has failed miserably and if they continue to struggle he’ll invariably be sacked in short order

as for the good guys, we looked rather pedestrian for extended stretches, but there were some moments of “brilliance”, which shouldn’t be understated…thus far, even against the lesser lights, we’ve relied heavily on a lot of set piece coin tossers and the mistakes of others, whereas today we displayed a bit of the craft and ingenuity that had gone missing ever since MA had opted for more of a bull in a china shop approach

there was Tross’s pass that led to Havertz’s tally, even though he was helped immeasurably by a shocking defensive whiff, the interplay in the box that provided Tross with a silver platter sitter and even some of Saka’s footwork in tight spaces, which resulted in a penalty…so even though it wasn’t a thing of beauty, it did provide me with a little hope, in that maybe Ode’s return to the fold came at the perfect time, as we’ve been questioning MA’s final third plans and Ode appears to have provided some of the answers

his mere presence on the right, along with Timber’s varied attacks, have unlocked Saka a bit, which has likewise enabled those on the left to roam into open spaces on the backside of the play…in a perfect world we should be looking to create this advantageous scenario on both sides of the pitch, but it’s always baby steps with our tactically stunted manager

this is why I so wish Ethan would be deployed opposite Ode, which could potentially provide us with two dominant trios, especially if Marts and Cala joined our 17 year old phenom on the left…talk about a win-win, Ethan gets the minutes he so desperately requires and deserves, from a developmental standpoint, and we finally get the kind of balance we’ve so desperately craved

I’m not exactly sure what to expect in our next encounter against United, but their outing against Everton will provide some much-needed insight, as Amorim will invariably tweak some things following his first outing which saw them settle for a rather disappointing draw

so looking forward to see how Slot sets up against a fragile yet still dangerous City side who will be looking to get off the schneid…all in all it should be an interesting Sunday of football on both sides of the Atlantic

Good routine win puts us second in the table. Chelsea can catch us if they beat villa so can city if they beat pool. It’s all close at the top of the table. Brighton as well are 2 points behind us.
You got to admire Brighton for the way they do things and play attractive football as well. PL should do something to encourage such clubs. When you compare it with clubs like Everton who have more resources yet struggle and play dire football Brighton is one of the success of PL. Fulham too under this manager plates good football.

It’s all about the owners and the club’s culture, Madhu.

Everyone connected to the club loves BHA from the owner, Tony Bloom, downwards with all departments work in unison. TB had the foresight to spend a few million on his rough diamond and uncut gem player finder. That’s a very smart owner we could do with and he loves and understands football and winning being a pro poker player – always a plus and he can run the club on player investments games and merchandise. The league finishing position payment is decent, too. When TB wants some case he sells a Casaido or a Mitoma for 80m+ with a few others currently being polished in the £50m+ range.

Our multibillion sterling empire has lost about £200M+ on players by comparison, which is ok by KSE it would appear.

BHA has probably made more than £250m profit from their £3m algorithm in the last 5 years.

Graeme from LG used to support BHA as his local club, as he lived in a seaside village not far from Brighton. His posts and chats with him peaked my interest, and since they’ve been my low budget, family club.

Same as KP with Haverford west county in them valleys, boyo. Except KP is more Islington lingoed colored in, with many brightly nuanced languages hence his immortalised: El Bastardo or EL B for short.

BHA led the way under Potter, and then De Zerbi quietly got into Europe, and now their young upstart, 34 or something, is continuing to confound far more experienced managers taking their scalps and sitting in the top 3rd.

Bournemouth and S’hampton have followed suit and became tough to beat.

United not looking assured against the Toffees who are pushing Manure more.

Manure 4:0 up and cruising, so expect a buoyant United Wednesday night.

Will be a tough game.

Chavs as expected are looking good for 3 points being 2 up with 25 minutes to go.

Only Spuds stuttering being the home team against Fulham at 0:0.

Tony

That is the problem with yesterday’s 2nd half performance. By going tortoise and playing negatively we invited West Ham on to us which does two things – it makes other teams think we can be got at and means we chased the ball more putting more distance into players legs.

No one’s suggesting you should go gungho but PL winning teams can control a match and see it out without looking scared.

Game of the weekend starts soon where Slot has only drawn one and lost one this season.

A draw suits us best but I think Slot gets the home 3 points.

If City don’t get their heads together they’re going to get a thrashing – 1 nil to Liverpool after 11 minutes but its been so one sided.

The goal has been coming with pool dominance with City looking scared.

City need a miracle with Pools tails up and looking menacing.

I wondered if we’d see a different United today, at least from a goalscoring standpoint…not sure how that will impact our mid-week fixture, but they’ll undoubtedly be a more confident side

we might have scored more goals, but Chelsea’s win over Villa was a much better performance than our father/son drubbing…the fact that even Enzo Fernandez has bought in, after a very unsettled and unproductive period, speaks volumes about this first year coach…maybe we got the wrong clone, we should have known because their coach is actually a dead ringer

so far at Anfield it’s been a a one-sided affair…I can’t remember the last time City looked so clearly second best in every capacity…Pool could be up by a couple already…if Slot finds a way to come away with a decisive victory it could provide them with an enormous boost of confidence moving forward

Marc—as you know, I’m not a fan of the whole turtling gig…a world-class manager would see yesterday as a perfect opportunity to prove we’re a serious threat even when we’re sitting behind the ball…maybe you bring on Ethan and Marts, then work on our countering with pace, which has been an almost completely absent tactic since MA arrived on the scene

TRVL

Agree 100%

The only surprise in the Liverpool / City match is its got to half time at 1 nil. Liverpool could easily have been up by 3 after 18 minutes.

KP—looks like Pep snuck into the broadcasting services rooms and got himself a good working over by the makeup crew…not a sign whatsoever that he’s been in self-harming mode for the past 3 or 4 days

one thing I really appreciate about Slot’s managerial approach is that if you perform you’re almost guaranteed to earn another starting gig, minus with Salah of course, who tbf tends to find a way to score even on his off-days…whereas MA seems beholden to a whole host of players regardless of their recent performances, which we’ve seen with Havertz, Jesus, Willian, Zinchenko etc…with this in mind, Marts should have been on the pitch yesterday, as it’s far more imperative that we build up his confidence than trying to appease Tross, but of course MA appears to want to re-up the Belgian so he gets the nod

Marc—Pool definitely left the door open, so I’ll be intrigued to see if Slot gets a bit more conservative in the second half or continues to have a go

City are definitely more threatening but to not even have a shot on target yet seems almost unthinkable…I think that’s the first time that’s happened in some 13-14 years, which was ironically against us

Pool will rue their missed opportunities if City find a way to level things up

on a sidenote, it appears as if VVD has committed himself to Slot for the foreseeable future, whereas Salah’s future is considerably less clear

interesting call, as I think City’s argument was that Salah had made a brief move toward the ball from an offside position, then sat back and let the onside Diaz do his business…Salah has 6 in 6, not too shabby

It’s time to take Liverpool serious now for the title. Today’s win not only gives them 3 important points against Man City, it gives them that confidence to go all through..

This being Salah’s last season at Anfield is going to help them even more. Mo Salah needs to sell him, needs to win another title before he leaves. Not good for us or anyone else who is looking at the title.

P.S. – Bernando Silba is a cunt.

https://youtube.com/shorts/6UO7-Kcl_xs?si=p5agWZWkxkTQOjN2

Mr Arsenal. Probably our most popular ever player (at least for Gooners of my age). Seeing him play regularly at Highbury was an absolute privilege. RIP Rocky.

Great goal by Rocky, KP. May He rest is everlasting peace.

Ambarish
I thought exactly the same about the sore loser Silva and I said that Slot would win the league after the first couple of games. I still stand by that prediction, same as Ethan will become and elite player.

TRVL
Do you see this City squad improving enough to reignite their title challenge? What I saw was a team bereft of confidence who are a former vision of the 6 times PL winers they were.

Operative word: ‘were’.

Really poor in midfield where MA has also always had still unresolved issues at 8 & 9 and accommodating Rice’s fantasy football – did MA get from Pep? Any team can get at City’s midfield, especially with fast counters, and I don’t think Pep has the elite squad he once had with Rodri and KDB being their biggest player losses who are irreplaceable currently.

Their spine is broken, where until fixed, they may even drop out of the CL.

If there is a Pep resurgence, I feel it will be short-lived because teams are no longer scared to play City where before they only parked busses and new managers are out thinking Pep and his useless apprentice: both could flame out this season. What will the Saudi prince think about playing in the Europe Conference league next season?

What a fcuking paradox? I love watching Pool play under Slot, but hate they are going to win the league, where the scousers will be crowing for all their worth, so, I’m glad I don’t have any Scouser mates.

Do hub caps still exist in Scouseland?

So, MA put Slot on notice that Slot will capitulate in the same manner MA has in his last 3 seasons, and Slot’s response?

To embarrass City with a men against boys performances where City were 2nd best all over the pitch. Slot could and should have won by 5:0 had they had their shooting boots on: how often do you see Salah sky the ball with only the keeper to beat?

If I were MA, I’d shut the fcuk up because very little comes out of that cnut’s mouth worth listening to, which you can’t say about most other PL managers today with Slot being the outstanding elite manager this season who speaks calm sense all the time.

Our MA? Just BS lip service, stupid mind games no one is interested in, and repeat mistake making being his best points.

Only 3 points separate 2nd to 6th. Then, 5 points from 2nd to 8th and 6 points 2nd to 10th. We are joint b2nd with the Chavs who are playing the far superior football with a manager who like, Slot is improving the Chavs no end in his first season.

Slot’s pool are sitting comfortably at the PL summit and are their being very deserved of their lofty position

Can anyone catch Slot? Not for me, but there are still 25 games to go and football’s fortunes can change in a couple of off weeks from injuries, suspensions and loss of self belief drop of form, City are experiencing.

I see a very mentally strong Pool squad who have all 100% bought into Slot’s football identity, which is a slightly improved Klopp identity who press the life out of the teams they play, and have a manager who almost changes every game by clever use of subs, something we’ll never see from MA.

Ethan and ESR are 2 reasons why MA is clueless with substitution tactics?

I’m off to a resort for 5 nights in the north and will post from there but will be home for our Fulham game; will ESR spoil MA’s party at Fulham?

The Manure and Fulham games will be the litmus test of our total challenge potential.

2 draws anyone? Spuds could only draw with Fulham at home. Can we do better?

A very important week for us game wise.

Tony—as you know I’ve been on Team Slot long before he arrived in the PL, it’s just unfortunate that he landed at Anfield and not in North London…if someone were to write a bio of his relatively brief managerial career you would read the words “first time ever” or “first time in a significant period” over and over again, which speaks to his well-deserved and rather precipitous rise

meanwhile, with half a decade under his belt, our manager is still more of a “work in progress” than finished product, which is probably why he’s never been held accountable for his actions or lack thereof….after all, how could you possibly blame him for making mistakes when you knew full-well that this be a recurring theme when you hired someone with no managerial experience whatsoever…the big question then becomes at what point will this lazy narrative no longer shield him from being held to the same standards as our former legendary manager…it’s not like Wenger didn’t finish 2nd in the table a few years prior to his ousting

of course, this isn’t to suggest that nothing has been achieved, as no one could possibly argue that were not in a better place now than when he first arrived on the scene…that said, you likewise can’t ignore the contextual differences between now and then…Neither Wenger or Unai were given gobs of money and the latter wasn’t even given any input when it came to roster construction…so whereas there has been some noticeable growth, if it weren’t for the unprecendented backing MA would have never survived his first couple managerial blips

as such, it’s high time that he be given a proper mandate, secure some meaningful hardware or hit the fucking bricks, otherwise our window will pass and all will be for naught…simply put if you’re not moving forward, you’re moving backwards, which would definitely be the case if a first year manager, not Pep, lifted the title come season’s end

have a great trek up north…Cheers

Tony and TVRL we are close to a third of the season and we are 9 points away from the top. Pool are the early leaders in a marathon. PL is all about endurance and sustainnace. Will they drop pints yeah sure they will and chances are that we will as well. if pool is still leading by 9 points end of Dec they will do something in Jan. Will be buy some pieces of puzzle in Jan is a big question. City will plough through get some results and will be thereabouts. They are just 2 points off from us in probably the world ever season under Pep.
Chelsea is purring and they will give us a good run for the money. Man U might have an uptick and spoil few teams fun. Spurs may do the same and so will Brighton.
It’s going to an interesting season and it depends on how MA handles the squad. Iam not sure if IAM seeing differently but him bringing in Kiwior for big Gaby in second half seems to be a progress in terms of his presenting his best players. Gaby seems to have a bit of trouble and in two games he is not afraid to bring in Kiwior once he is comfortable with the score line. Is it one of or is something that MA is willing to do as he is growing up in his job. It remains to be seen. If he manages his squad and takes care of Ode, Saka, Saliba and Gaby we may have a chance. Let see how the season progresses.

Some things like the treatment of ESR deploying a “niggling” issue as an excuse to play power games might be one thing Pep Guardiola learnt from his apprentice. Watching City out of ideas , leadership and a teenager Lewis playing full time and , each time dispossesssed by Liverpool it seems so

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/pep-guardiola-de-bruyne-city-34227531

TRVL

If Slot goes on to win the PL in his first year after Liverpool having a couple of off seasons and spending a pittance (in football terms!) its going to make a lot of the fan boys squirm.

All the talk about Arteta and sauce, generational yada yada yada is going to look like the emperors new clothes especially after the sheer amount of money he’s spent.

Marc

The writing is on the wall – the El B fanboys will blame the squad that he had to use sourced by Edu. In reality those with sense know differently.

KP – Rocky at his best. That season should have been won with several games still to play however George decided to keep us all on tenterhooks until the last few minutes of the season – one of the best end of season games ever.

Tony and NORG
It came up on YT and I had to share it. I’m wondering if the commemoration of his sad death is coming up.

That season’s ending will never be surpassed by any team. Period.

Manure at home in the FA Cup. Yes!

NORG

You have to wonder what the Kroenke’s will make of it – they’ll know who pushed for the players and after almost €800 million spent finishing 2nd or 3rd behind Liverpool and City might not go down well.

Marc
The Kroenke’s have Japanese blood in their veins – they will never admit to making a mistake to appointing a managerial set up that employed El B. El B is Pep Mk II and new young managers have placed him as their benchmark and then beat him. They know what he earns and that is their ambition. El B does not have the vision to succeed.
Luckily we have a very hungry Saka & Odegaard who now have an understanding and will start dictating play as they want to – not as instructed from the sidelines.
Cast your mind back to when Cesc was captain – a few of his chosen players entertained with super cool passing play. A bit part player Flamini became a monster defensive midfielder for a season – he is now richer than all of his peers.
If we do make top 4 this season it will be on the back of the players and El B will take the applause.

NORG

You see I disagree there Arteta convinced the Kroenke’s to fund / underwrite massive spending and he hasn’t produced.

Hoping that the team manages itself to being Champions just isn’t going to happen.

Slot wins the PL in his first attempt, with a squad that has finished behind us for 2 season and only spent £40 odd million last summer and questions are going to be asked.

There appears to be a goundswell of support, particularly amongst the usual pro-Arteta suspects, surrounding the signing of Robert Olabe as Edu’s replacement…I want to share a few of my thoughts in this regards, which will include a few excerpts from online sources that I found somewhat concerning/intriguing:

“Olabe was once on the radar of Real Madrid and Aston Villa, and he will not be short of top suitors once he leaves the La Liga club at the end of the season…Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta knows him as he was the one who signed the former midfielder for Sociedad back in 2004, and a reunion could now be on the cards in the coming months…The Gunners will be desperate to get the right sporting director to replace Edu and help them sort things out in the 2025 summer transfer window, and the English-speaking Olabe fits the bill”

I’ve watched a shitload of La Liga football and never once have I heard a single reference to this particular individual…now that doesn’t mean he’s not the administrative savant we so desperately require, but I find it rather disconcerting that MA appears to have a longtime personal connection with this particular candidate…that for me is a serious red flag, as it strongly suggests that MA has been given carte blanche when it comes to picking what should functionally be his superior…therein lies the problem, our organizational power dynamics are completely askew, which is likely why Edu started sniffing around in the first place

on the positive side of the ledger, this might be a calculated hiring ploy simply to lure two of MA’s supposed high priority targets, Isak and Zubimendi, to the Emirates, as both were recruited by the now Sociedad Sporting Director…not to mention, I can only assume that both Merino and Ode were privately consulted in some capacity, as why wouldn’t you pick their respective brains about their former boss during the vetting process…even so, I just can’t imagine MA signing off on any hire who might legitimately challenge him, which is why this could be a disconcerting option, as we need another meaningful voice in the room if we want to get over the proverbial hump

of course, this doesn’t mean he’s got nothing on offer, as Sociedad’s profile has risen during his time in office, but certainly nowhere near the level we’re hoping to achieve…as such it does makes me wonder if this is really about us having higher aspirations or simply a marriage of convenience…now if you believe that we’re an Isak and a Zubimendi away from challenging for things both here and abroad, then this could be looked upon as an incredibly savvy hire, but if you’re under the impression that these sorts of two front pursuits are far more nuanced that that, you might be justifiably perturbed by this kiss the ring type hire…not to mention, it kind of speaks volumes about MA’s inability to recruit key pieces without considerable “inside” help

for those firmly within the pro-Arteta camp such pessimism/skepticism might seem totally unfounded, but one has to only look at the fluffed-up responses by a variety of “pocketed” media-types to understand my consternation…below you will find one of the more agregious examples:

“Roberto Olabe is a name synonymous with strategic brilliance. His track record at Real Sociedad shows he can scout hidden gems, build cohesive squads, and foster an environment for players to thrive. For Arsenal, who are hungry to sustain their return to Europe’s elite, this is precisely the calibre of leadership needed…Arteta has proven he can develop young talent and implement a clear philosophy on the pitch. Imagine this duo shaping the future of Arsenal: Arteta moulding the team’s identity on the pitch while Olabe constructs the foundation off it…This potential partnership is a clear statement of intent. Arsenal aren’t just chasing short-term success; they’re planning for longevity. If Olabe’s appointment becomes a reality, it could herald a golden era for the club, blending sustainable growth with a relentless pursuit of trophies”

I guess only time will tell…Cheers

TRVL – by the sounds of it Arteta is moving to fortify his power and get a Yes man in the mix. He is building his own empire without a proven track record of winning. If this happens it will be worse than Wenger era. Initial days of Wenger DD was the voice of reasoning, descent or check and balance , then slowly after his departure it was all Wenger and then the chaos. At least the man won few things. Now we have a novice who has no track record in anything other than couple of second places, patchy squad building and dubious buys like William and sterling.
I believe that this season of we don’t win any trophies the likes of Saliba will start the murmur of quitting the club. It appears that we had our chances in the previous two season and we missed it. We pretty much had a free run at City with some semblance of challenge from Pool. Next season onwards we will have Chelsea, Man U in the mix as well. city are going nowhere and Pool will be stronger as well. So from next season onwards the competition will be fierce in the TW and on the field. Are we equipped to best in both places against competition? Million dollar question.

The question that keeps haunting me is why in the Modern world any rational question to the power is always considered as descent/discord that needs to be quashed. There is no patience for any real rational , intellectual argument leading to a considered decision. I see it all the time in Corporate world and off course in politics. Everyone seems to be insecure about anybody asking few questions. If there are questions from any quarters the answer is to crush them. MA seems to be another one trying to do the same. May be Edu did question some buys and squad decisions. He was probably eased out. With all the technology advancements and more information has only converted humans to a much more insecure being.

Good posts TRVL & Madhu completely agree with your collective thoughts.

I said before I hope MA doesn’t interview his boss ALA Wenger with Ivan G.

Looks more like that to me. Amorim is already started negotiations for VG, Isak for us we hope. I’d look at Palmer for our 9 as well. Chavs would never sell, though.

Just got to hope we get the right TD, as it’s all we’ve got!

Big game tonight which we should win but I’m not confident we will. Leaning towards a score draw.

Too late for me, so will watch in the morning.

Are you at the game tonight Marc?

Let’s look at tonight’s game in the present. We’re MUCH better than them in every department, scoring goals for fun and out thinking and out muscling teams like Sporting and the Hammers. Plus drawing with Liverpool City and Chelsea when we should have beaten them. United drew with fucking Ipswich lately. There’s no comparison between our clubs at the moment and so it’s basically nothing more than akin to a home game with say a Palace or Wolves level team. Hoping finally for proper revenge for that 8-2 game. Let’s put them to the sword.