September 30th – Bournemouth 0 Arsenal 4

A nice relaxing day on the coast. Bournemouth really are pleasant, decent and well behaved hosts. We can only hope they remain in the EPL.

I’m not sure Raya actually had a save to make today. But, clearly, he is now the number 1 goalie. There is no rotation here at Arsenal. Though I remain a fervent Ramsdale fan, I could see the value in Raya’s calmness on the ball. We continued to play back through him today. He was patient on the ball and, aside from a few passes that were misplaced, did not place us in danger. Of course, having said that, I’d still prefer to see Ramsdale there.

The clean-sheet though is based on the spine of Saliba, Gabriel and Rice. Though they weren’t stretched too much, in those few instances Saliba and Gabriel were perfectly positioned to intercept or block. And in front of them Rice provides a solid, consistent shield.

On either side we had White and Zinny pushing forward. Zinny was more involved this week and help move us forward. Odegaard had so much time on the ball and Saka – apart from being kicked – had the beating of his man. He was of course the catalyst for our first goal. Jesus combining with the cross-bar to have Saka nod the ball in.

Eddie remains a conundrum. He really should have scored today and we seem to lose something from Jesus when he’s pushed out to the wing. However, Eddie won us our first penalty. I like the way that we randomize who will take our penalties. If only we would do that will our goalkeepers. I’m sure their goalkeeper would prefer to know who’s taking the penalty. It certainly makes us less predictable.

The most important goal was that third one. Allowing Have-that to take-that yet again demonstrated the leadership of Odegaard. The away fans reaction was brilliant. As was his team-mates. You can see the ground-swell of support for him. It will take him a while longer though to settle in. I could have seen Arteta starting Vieira today. But, if you watch closely, you can see how much work Have-that does off the ball. How much he slides into the middle to support Rice. And how well he tracks back.  

Somehow, he managed to pick up a yellow card from Salisbury the referee. Overall, he was not the worst ref – I mean, we did get awarded two penalties (that’s three in two games now so don’t expect any more this season) – though they were pretty clear-cut. But I don’t know how Have-that got a yellow but then refuse to give a yellow to any of the Bournemouth players who committed identical fouls.

This was such a nice leisurely game for us. They barely pushed us. It was noticeable though that we played a much more patient game. Often choosing to play backwards and sideways. And using Raya as the pivot point. Odegaard found it hard sometime to receive the ball. Only when he dropped deep alongside Rice would he receive the ball.

Most of our play was developed down either wing. Occasionally though Rice would burst forward and open up opportunities. This is what Partey does so well. It’s this vertical play that changes the pattens of play. Rice, as he continues to settle in, will grow into that part of his game.

It was good to see ESR get more minutes even if he should have scored (at least once). And that Nelson is now one of the first substitutes. Of course, against Bournemouth, I could one of the first substitutes. My only worry is relates to Saka. At three nil up he really should have been withdrawn. I was relieved to see Rice removed but we should also be protecting Saka. He barely gets a break and in games like this we have a responsibility to protect him. Especially with the depth on the bench that he had today. An even nicer touch would have been for Ramsdale replace Raya. But that’s wishful thinking I suppose.

Even though we’re back in the top four I still don’t feel that we’ve really rediscovered the form of last year. That’s not a criticism merely an observation. We don’t need to be in top form now. As we were last year. We just have to stay close enough such that when we do find our form we can then capitalize on it. Our style of play is slowly evolving. We seem to be slightly more possession based and more determined to play from the back – patiently. And that’s fine. Teams are adapting to us so it’s important to evolve.

There are more elements of todays game I could comment on but it really felt like a pre-season game.  Aside from the first 10 minutes Bournemouth really had no game whatsoever. They were much more threatening under Howe. Given the quality of some of the teams this year it might be the first time that four or five deserve to get relegated. Sheffield, Luton, Burnley, Everton and Bournemouth are all pretty crap. There seems to be much less middle ground in the league. That is, teams either raise their quality – Villa, Brighton, West Ham – or start to sink. But there are few less natural mid-table teams. Maybe that’s what comes of new owners and more money in the league.

We still have to navigate past Lens on Wednesday but the focus will surely shift to the Sunday City game. Without Rodri the complexion changes. And without KDB. Let’s hope they play Phillips. And also that they win mid-week. It’s unusual for them to lose two games on the spin. A few more injuries would also help us. But this will be an important test for us.

It’s remarkable that they could lose to Wolves. It’s not as surprising that United could fail again. Which leads us to the Liverpool game and the standard of referring in this league. As much as the quality of the teams in the EPL continues to develop so the standard of refereeing regresses. Somehow the availability of technology still leads to eye-popping poor decisions. Today Liverpool were robbed. It was literally day-light robbery.

Aside from being the better team they somehow had a clearly good goal ruled offside. This is unforgivable. This is exactly what VAR is there for. The naked eye could see if was onside but common sense does not seem to apply here. Note also, in this era of improved transparency, the PGMOL refuse to provide the lines they use to make their decision. Do they think they are the Supreme Court that is not answerable to anyone (well, to be fair, they explain their decisions). What right do they have to not show these lines. And explain their own incompetence. I’m not blaming the linesman. But the morons in their nice little offices in Stockley Park, who have the benefit of reviewing at their leisure rather than in real-time with the added pressure of the fans. How can they continue to make these mistakes?

This was then compounded by the sending off of Jones. This was the worst use of VAR. When you slow it down it looks terrible but at the time, you could tell Jones was going for the ball and his tackle rolled off the top of the ball before hitting the shin. This was never a red card. And changed the game. And the ref originally had this right.

Then we have the offside. And finally, Jota, emulated Tommy. The first yellow was beyond a joke. He barely touched the Sp*rs player who tripped over himself. It was not a foul let alone a yellow card. And then that second tackle was a foul. But somehow he got sent off within 90 seconds of the first yellow.

Which brings us back to the standard of referring in this league. They are, week in week out, too many clear mistakes. And mis-use of this technology. This will only be resolved when they remove the human element and use automated off-side technology and also explain how the decision was made. Until then we’re left with a billion dollar sport being ruined by underqualified, under-paid, amateur referees. Which leads back to the FA, EUFA and FIFA; organizations all run by people who are overpaid and under qualified to run the game. Corruptions runs through all of them. And we are the ones that have to suffer. From forcefully kissing women in public and having no decency to resign to putting the WC in Qatar. These organizations stink. Change will only come from clubs – but they are also at the mercy of state run public funds. Which means it’s going to require an uprising by the fans. But don’t hold your breath.

In the meantime, let’s hope we wrap Saka in cotton wool along with Rice. It’s important not to lose on Wednesday but we have to rotate. I’d take a draw as long as we are ready, rested and prepared for City on Sunday. This is our opportunity to step up.  I don’t believe this will be our year but this is a game where we have to show that we’ve progressed and that we can compete with them.

-LB7

September 24th – Arsenal 2 Sp*rs 2

Yuk. Too many mistakes and too many injuries. We should have won the game in the first half and then lost it in the second. This was a game of what could have been. Let’s just hope the injury room is not too overcrowded.

Raya was officially anointed the number 1 today. There was one brilliant save in the first half from Johnson. But his distribution was not great and he should have done better on the initial cross for their first goal. I’m clearly biased but Ramsdale should regain his position for the next few games but he wont.

We also missed Trossard today. Unfortunately, Eddie chose today to have his worst performance for us. Nothing he did worked. His passing was off, his touch was off and he added nothing to our game. He did seem to close them down either. If Jesus was fully fit, then Nelson should have replaced him not Jesus.

Of course, in that first half, Jesus should have increased our lead when he dispossessed Maddison on the edge of their box. Prior to that he had a back-post shot saved but this one really should have hit the target. This is where games are won and lost.

But back to Eddie. This was so frustrating to watch. In such a big game to see him flounder reminded me of how he was a couple of years ago.  Even when he did win the ball back he’d lose it straight-away. He’s body language seemed off as was his effort. He was really ineffectual. So much so that Vieira looked quite good in comparison. It was brave of Arteta to start him over Have-that. He also though had trouble coming up to the speed of the game.

On that same side Zinny had one of his quietest games. And, likewise Rice. Early on he charged forward but he was as subdued as I can remember. We should have gone in at half-time ahead. We regained possession of the ball high up the pitch on a number of occasions but could not create real chances. The Saka goal arrived from their turnover and our quick movement. Maybe that shot would have curled in. But we deserved the lead. And we needed to extend it.

The wankers continued to play out from the back and were very high risk but, to be fair, they did play football. Unlike prior years, they came to play. There were periods in the first half where they controlled the ball quite nicely. And, once the second half started, they further asserted themselves.

In hindsight, losing Rice was the turning point.  The change to our rhythm was dramatic. We were unable to retain the ball nor create. Have-that was an improvement over the injured and withdrawn Vieira. Again our corners came to the rescue. We had a couple of chances – even though, today, none were short corners. Then we had the penalty. With Paul Tierney on VAR duty it was always going to be complicated. That was as clear as a hand bull as you could see. Yet Tierney dragged on the review for so long like he was looking for any opportunity not too award it.

And then, as the TV was showing yet the nth replay we missed the lead into to the Jorginho Gerrard-like mistake to hand them an immediate reply. Ironically, this was reminiscent for the Fabergas goal against from the kick-off about ten years ago. Anyway, by this stage without Rice and Partey, Jorghinho with all his experience should have kept it simple rather than dallied on the ball. A fundamental mistake which destroyed our momentum. At that point I feared we’d lose this game.

We had no fluency or control. Maddison was carving us open and they were controlling the game. It was only when he joined our injured players that we started to find some control. Saka then added to our injury list while Eddie continued to lose every knock down and chance. The one he missed in the first half was difficult but thereafter his contribution was zero. I was hoping he’d be replaced by Nelson and Jesus could go centrally.

This was such a frustrating and disappointing performance. The second half was as poor as we’ve seen in a while. I can understand why though. With so many replacements it was hard to find a rhythm against a fluent side that had a clear intent in playing. This unlike the United game was a challenge for us. One that we did not meet. While we might have won this game it’s not clear we deserved to. Even at the end that thug Ricarlison could have scored.

Even Saliba was making a few mistakes today with his distribution. Both he and Gabriel were resolute in defense. As was White. Until, when Saka was too easily beaten by Maddison, no-one had anticipated that and we too slow to come out and close him down.

Saka was hacked most of the game. We expect that. It was a relief to see him replaced in order to protect him. Let’s hope his recovers quickly. We saw today why we needed a little more cover for him. Less money on Raya and more on a replacement.

As frustrating as this performance was – and I have some sympathy given the disruption through the injuries – this was all compounded by the unbearable TV camera work. As mentioned, we nearly missed the entirety of their second goal. But there is this new fixation to show prolonged shots of each manager while the game is happening. Likewise, we have these tedious close up shots of individuals in the crowd. And, then after any action, they have close-ups of any player involved. All the while, the game is happening. I just don’t understand why there is not more of an outcry. It makes the game so difficult to follow. It disrupts your sense of the flow of the game. And these shots add literally zero value. And then we have the constant replays whilst the play is continuing. Over the years I’ve been complaining (it’s in my nature) but this season it seems to have deteriorated. The camera director thinks he’s trying to provide some insight into the emotions or brain patterns of the managers, players etc whereas instead we are denied the chance to actually follow the game. The only solutions I can think of are (1) introduction of picture in picture or (2) I become anointed the Czar of all TV camera decisions. It’s not clear which one of these two is more unlikely.

Given our performance against PSV our expectations were quite high going into this game. And, given that they are only a few months into their new managers reign, they are not quite at the level they would expect. Therefore, this was our chance today. And quite frankly, for various reasons, we blew it. As we know, this is a game of fine margins. You have to take your chances when you are dominating. Both Jesus and Eddie missed theirs today. And thereafter, with all our injuries, the second half was as scrappy and as disjointed as I can remember seeing us. In fact, watching this performance today highlighted high much more work we still have to do in order to compete with City. Even with Rodri now out for game – and how refreshing was it to see one of their players finally get a straight red – if we play like we did today in the second half, they will tear us apart.

All eyes will now turn to the injury room. Mine will also turn to the goalkeeper but that’s just my obsession. With Rice, Partey and possibly Saka in addition to Martinelli and Trossard all requiring treatment we are, so early in the season, going to be challenged.  Now we will see how our squad depth looks. We knew Partey would be injured. That’s as certain as day following night. But losing both Rice and Saka will cause a relapse of this team. Though I doubt Jorginho can be as hesitant and uncertain as he was today.

As we know it’s a long season but with these addition Champions League fixtures it’s going to be stressful on the playing time for players. Obviously it’s too early to concede on the mickey-mouse Milk-League-Coca-Cola-whatever-its-called-cup, but Wednesdays game should see an entirely different team fielded. With Ramsdale of course 🙂 . Though it’s only Bournemouth at the weekend, we need players to recover prior to Lens and then City.

With LA Chelsea imploding and United being just tiresome and dire, we’ll be fighting Liverpool, The wankers, Brighton and Newcastle for these other top 3 spots. Or is it 5 next year? Today we demonstrated why we’re not quite ready to challenge City. Without a world-class striker or left-midfield player we’re just a little deficient. And then once injuries kick-in we are exposed. We could easily have lost this game.

Arteta has a ton of work to do. As good as this team has become, getting it to the next level will require a fully fit Rice. Today we again saw his importance; without him we were vulnerable. I don’t think for one minute that he was fully fit even in the first half. And we need to convert our chances. Of course, some would say, I don’t know who, that we also need Ramsdale in goal.

By the end of the match we had started to reassert ourselves but without any real cutting edge. Minus Saka and Jesus and with no Trossard or Martinelli there was not obvious place the goals would come from. Odegaard was also kept fairly quite today. He continued to work hard on the press – along with Jesus – but Eddie was always a little late to the press. But today Maddison outshone Odegaard. Though part of that was because of the Rice being fried (sorry) and Vieira being, well, Vieira. Have-that was more assured today so let’s hope it’s part of his acclimatization to our team. Because we’ll need him now. And Elneny!

We played a decent team today so this is not like dropping point to Fulham. And it was a pleasure to watch a game (well, that part that the TV cameras would show) where neither team parked the bus. But it’s clear there’s plenty of work to be done on our young team. Arteta will be tested this year given the increased expectations. And we have to remain patient. In particular, I have to. But once we start converting our chances we’ll move in the right direction. As long as our physios can kept our key players fit.

So I’ll give the Wednesdays game a pass and start training for the Bournemouth game in case Arteta needs someone to play alongside Elneny in midfield.

-LB7

September 17th – Everton 0 Arsenal 1

Three points at Everton. Not to be sniffed at. Irrespective of how abject Everton are, it’s been our graveyard for many years now. So, coming away with three points, a clean sheet and no red cards is the best outcome we could have hoped for.

Sure, it was a bit laboured. Playing against a team who were committed only to nullifying our game and utterly devoid of any intention to leaving their own half, it was a struggle. Our possession stats were through the roof but all they cared about was parking the bus. They made Bolton look entertaining. I believe they had a few corners in the second half and a few free kicks but it was just dumfounding to see how little Everton tried to challenge us. Instead, they bunkered in for the entire game.

Within our possession game we cycled the ball smoothly and created some openings. If I was to be a little critical it was that we did not open up their defense too much. Poor Eddie was continuously surrounded. They did not allow for any space for us to operate in. But that’s what happens when a team play with a backline of ten players. The combination of White and Saka were able to open them up a few times but then their ten-man defense would all throw themselves to block any shots etc. Pickford hardly had a save to make.

Then there was the disallowed goal. Martinelli, who had been probing and teasing old man Young was set free by a perfect Vieira pass. Unfortunately, in addition to his perfect finish he also strained his hamstring. Personally, I find it hard to understand the offside rule these days. In this instance, everyone seemed to agree it was offside. Eddie was coming back (marginally) from an offside position. But Gabriel’s pass was wickedly deflected off Beto. So how was it offside? Because it was inadvertent? Instead, we lost a goal and the energy of Martinelli.

Trossard took a while to get acclimatized. The right hand side of this team seems to dominate now. That combination of Rice, Saka and White – the English side – plus Odegaard, seem to be more creative and threatening. Whereas even with Zinny and Martinelli, the left hand side with either Vieira or Have-that, just feel more ponderous.

The half-time team talk seemed to work as, in the second half, we picked up the speed of our play and interchanges. Chances were created. Odegaard brought out a save from Pickford and Vieira sniffed around at the back post on a couple of occasions. Trossard also became more involved. There were a few scares when misplaced passes from Trossard and also the wonderful Rice could have been threatening – that is, if we were playing against a football team and not a concrete defense.  

Even with this improved momentum it was hard to see where a goal might come from. However, in the course of eleven – that’s right 11 – corners we figured out that we‘d not win any balls in the air. So, a number of the corners were short-ones. And from one, we created the goal. Forget the time it took to take the corner (if you’re concerned about that you should review Pickfords goal kicks and handling time) but the planned interplay culminated in the perfect left-footed shot from Trossard that was unstoppable. Completely deserved.

Thereafter Jesus had a breakaway chance but could not quite control the ball. All very reminiscent of the United game. We won with a corner routine. That’s six points from corners now. One of these teams will wake up and figure this out at some point. In the meantime, this demonstrates the attention to detail of our manager and his staff. If only now they could figure out how we might be able to take quicker throw-ins.

The selection for this game was obviously impacted by our return to the Champions League on Wednesday. Finally, the end of our own little Brexit as we enter Europe properly. Last year, at the end of the season, we paid the price for the lack of squad depth. Now we have a stronger and deeper squad we need to rotate to preserve both fitness and competition for places.

Replacing Have-that with Vieira made sense. I remain unconvinced by Vieira but also acknowledge that he’s showing signs of growth and needs minutes to develop. Have-that, will, with time, also acclimatize to our style. Trossard remains an enigma. He has proved himself invaluable but there are times when he disappears.  Some of this depends on the role he’s been allocated. He’s not a straight replacement for Martinelli – no one can be. We will miss his pace and directness – and goals.

Maybe on Wednesday we will see minutes for both ESR and Nelson. Both must be itching to play – ESR in particular. At some point we also have to protect Rice. He was dominant again. He’s ability to recover quickly and stop their build-up play higher up the pitch near the half-way line is something we’ve not seen in decades. It is reminiscent of the original Vieira. Against Everton he strolled around and protected the backline and linked up play. He’s yet to add in the forward, directness of Partey but that will come. He’s been a remarkable signing. Worth every penny. But we can’t play him every game.

Behind him the restored pairing of Saliba and Gabriel provided the required solid defensive shield. Gabriel has to either work on his distribution or we need Rice and Saliba – and Zinny – to take the ball away from him. Gabriel does not have the same vision not speed of passing of the others. But with White excelling again at right-back and Zinny roaming the field from the left, this back four is clearly our best. Though when Tommy came on and restored the six foot defensive shield in place of the undersized Zinny, we retained our confidence and composure.

Which leads us to poor Aaron. I was not a happy camper when I saw the change in goal. As I’ve said here previously, I’m conflicted by the acquisition of Raya. It’s a lot of money and I think Ramsdale is the best goalie we’ve had in decades. I also acknowledge that Arteta knows what he’s doing and it is comforting to know that if Ramsdale was injured or sent-off we have more than adaquat cover now.

But poor Aaron. He’s been waiting in the wings for ages to prove that he should be the England #1 goalkeeper. So, finally, he gets his chance midweek and he starts for England, keeps a clean sheet (aside from the obligatory Maguire own-goal) and then returns to Arsenal to find out that, for the day, that he is now the number 2 goalkeeper. This was, naturally, the pre-game discussion point. Arteta, who wisely, deflects on most questions and won’t be draw on his strategy, should, for the moment, be taken at face value. That there will be fair competition for the goalie spot. Raya looked good yesterday; his distribution is just a little more rapid than Aaron. The worst outcome here would be if Aaron became the new Leno – relegated to the #2 slot. But, again, that’s not what Arteta is saying. The next two games will tell us a lot. If Raya is playing in both the CL and in the NLD then Aaron will eventually pack his bags. But I pray that is not the case. Aaron will have to play in at least one of these games. Maybe he’ll become the CL and cup goalie?

Would Arteta rotate the goalies between EPL games? That would be novel. I don’t think that has ever happened for a EPL team. The argument usually is that the defenders need to have an understanding of the positioning, strengths and style of the goalie behind them. If you change that too frequently, you’ll destabilize the defensive. So, as important as rotation is, let’s see how this develops.

A final word on Everton. They really are appalling. Usually, they take time to sink into the relegation zone before somehow escaping on the last day of the season. This year they seem to have perfected their approach. This was as abject and poor as I’ve ever seen them. There was no energy or purpose to their play. One of the mains strengths they have at Goodison is their vocal supporters – who are nearly up there with Newcastle. But the teams lack of energy was transmitted to their fans who had no chance to motivate their team and intimidate us. This was so unlike a Sam Dyche team and so unlike our visit last year. Maybe this is the year they could finally be relegated – just as they move into their spanking new stadium. Now that would be funny.

Another important week lies ahead. Beyond Eindhoven we have the improved wankers and their crying center-forward coming to us next week. They don’t have the distraction of Europe so they will be fresh and energized by their manager. This will be an interesting game. Unlike most games this year when the opposition parked the bus – the wankers won’t do that. So, whereas, we have not regained our form of last year, this will hopefully be the game where the more open approach will allow us to finally click and perform as we did last year. Sure, Arteta has made tactical changes to have us play more controlled football, but against a team that will come out and challenge us more, it will be fascinating to see whether we can revert to our more fluent and creative nature.

-LB7

Sept 3 – Arsenal 3 Manchester United 1

Wow. That was some game. We unquestionably deserved to win. But we cut it mighty fine. If only you could bottle that unbridled joy when Rice and Jesus gave us those three points.

This was a strong test as it was the first time this season we played a potentially top 6 team who would not sit in a low block the entire game. With the annual Partey groin/hamstring injury the team formation reverted back to last year. In came Gabriel and Zinny. Normal service was resumed.

We will never know what Arteta would have selected had Partey been fit. I wonder whether this will be an equivalent moment to when his selection hand was forced prior to the Chelsea game when ESR started and we turned it around by winning 3-0. Not that we quite needed to turn it around. But we flowed more naturally and controlled large periods of the game.

Of course we need to discuss our newly acquired Have-that. I feel a little sorry for him TBH. He seems to be struggling. Not that I can get inside his mind but his body language would seem to indicate that he’s suffering. He had Zinny behind him and a buzzing Martinelli ahead of him. That’s quite a nice sandwich. But he remained hesitant and unsure. Of course, the complete whiff in the first half from the six yard line will haunt him for a long time. That was the moment when he could (and should) have burst that pressure bubble. Instead, he followed that up with an uncertain, hesitant pass that lead directly to their first goal.

As much as he tried to track back and catch Erickson, he ended up heads in hands on our penalty box as they celebrated. Sure, White and Saliba might have not cloned each other and denied Rashford more space. But that boy can always score against us.

Rashford is wasted in this United team. BTW, what misnomer. They are anything but. they are Manchester DisUnited. There is no clear style or structure to their team. From defense the best player on the ball was Onana. Most of the possession was in their defensive third. They barely did anything meaningful with the ball. Fernandez only got into the game in the second half whereas Anthony still remains the most over-priced, useless, annoying Cunning Ungrateful Noxious Turd. And Martial barely touched the ball. I don’t get this team at all. For all the money they’ve spent, I see no progress. It’s been 10 years since they won the league. I know it’s been even longer for us. But, I see no evolution with United. Just more money being poured in and wasted.

Back to our Have-that. Beyond the abysmal miss and setting up their goal he really does work hard. I’d really like to see him work out. I suspect though it’s not a question of talent but just whether he has the mental strength to overcome this period. As the great Wenger would say, it’s a though he’s playing with the handbreak on. It remains to be seen whether he’ll end up being another Gervinho. Let’s hope not.

He’ll be under more pressure now that Vieira is seemingly starting to produce the goods. After Nelson won the ball back, Fabio’s first time pass to Jesus set up that final, beautiful third goal. And, did you notice, that Nelson, after winning the ball and releasing Vieira, then chases all the way up field to receive the ball before Jesus dummied everyone to score himself.

Jesus needed that. Especially because Eddie was impressive yesterday. Sure he had no real chance to score but his link up play is so important. He was pivotal to that first goal. Overall, he continues to evolve and show real development. Eddie will now go off to spend time with the England squad. Unlike White. It’s beyond logic that Southgate can still pick the tortoise Maguire but yet ignore White. That competition between Jesus and Eddie can only be good for us – as long as they both stay fit.

Martinelli buzzed around all game. He was as lively as he’d been all season. And he was instrumental in creating that all important first goal. To respond so quickly was critical. Before they could put up a low block and hit us on the counter, we were able to have our captain equalize. And notice, that rather than over celebrate, Odegaard had us running back to continue pressing.

This was one of Odergaard better games. He works so hard and leads the team on the field. And he’s a better player when White is right-back. And so is Saka. But, it has to be said, Saka was not exactly on fire. It’s an interesting (yet unfair) comparison of Saka versus Have-that. In our last game Saka set-up the Fulham first goal and against United he missed a stone cold opportunity to give us the lead towards the end of the game when White, yet again, put in a killer cross. But, rightly, no-one will criticize Saka. I won’t. He’s earned way too much credit. Has lifted this team ever since the Accountant was fired. He saved out last two seasons. So, I’m not saying they are equivalent players. It’s just interesting that Have-that will be abused for his contribution against United. Whereas, we should support him more. In six months we can judge whether he was a bust or not. Not yet.

How good was Gabriel? To have him back in the defense helped solidify that back-line. And with Zinny roaming the entire midfield – often being on the right – and always willing to receive the ball from the defense, it’s vital that he stays injury free. Saliba had his usual masterful game. Reading the game superbly. Making the odd mistake I know, but generally cruising along and marshalling the defense. He really is the crown-jewel of center-halfs – along with White!

Of course, the star of this game was Rice. He stamped his authority all over the pitch. He tackles like a freight train. He protected the back-line yet linked up well with Zinny; propelled the team forward and dominated the midfield. How we need this guy. He is as close to the original Vieira as we’ve ever had. And this was only his fourth game for us. This was truly money well spent. You can see how he and Bellingham will form the core of the England mid-field for the next 5 to 10 years.

The emotion that was released when he scored lifted the entire stadium. It was deserved both for the team and for Rice. He is truly a box-to-box player. But unlike, say, Gerrard and Lampard, Rice truly knows defending. He exudes a force of personality that is infectious. As long as he stays injury free, he will be deemed as the best signing of the entire transfer window. Against United he was masterful. A lighthouse of talent. And a springboard for the entire team. With him and Odegaard at the core of the midfield, we just need someone (like Have-that) to occupy that left-sided midfield role. It would be nice to see ESR given a chance as well. Maybe we’ll see him in the League Cup. There is genuine talent there but he has to earn some playing time. And that’s with Trossard sitting next to him on the bench.

As frustrating as the Fulham game was, yet again, we displayed a resilience and spirit that speaks to a belief in this team. Responding to their goal within a minute and then fighting through to the additional minutes to steal the win is a testament to that belief. We’ll need that this season. As long as we can keep this back-four in place we’ll be fine.

Another word on ETH. Wanker. How could you possibly argue that their disallowed off-side goal was actually onside? It makes a mockery of him. And then to complain they were due another penalty and were the better team? No wonder they are suffering. That is not leadership. It’s just plain old winging and moaning. And, lastly, is that not the nastiest, ugliest most repulsive away kit you’ll ever see? What have they done to their heritage? Playing in those colours they could be Macclesfield Town (I mean no disrespect to Macclesfield Town).  

Now we head of into another worthless, disruptive International hiatus. Four games into the new season. Just as the season is starting to gain momentum. What a joke. At some point, somewhere, somehow, this will have to change. Between SPL buying all possible players, Chelsea spending all the Clearlake money and PSG failing to win anything aside from the tinpot French League, there are so many things wrong with global football. But at least we can console ourselves with the joy that Arsenal bring. That Arteta generates. And that Saliba, White, Odergaard, Zinny, Saka and Rice et al continue to build towards. This is a team that is still a little away from its full potential. But look at that list of players. It starts to smell of the Wenger years. Now we just need to be a little patient and soon enough we’ll have some trophies.

In the meantime, wallow in those last 8 minutes of bliss and let that glide you through the next few weeks until we face the wankers down the road.

-LB7

August 21st – Crystal Palace 0 Arsenal 1

That was tough and painful to live through even if the outcome was excellent. Three points. Clean-sheet. Surviving with 10-men. That’s what you need to be successful. Grind out a victory after dominating the game.

Of course, this game was under control until Tomi was penalized with two dubious yellow cards. The first one was a team yellow – Tommi barely had the ball after receiving it from Have-that for the throw-in. But the second one was just none existent. Tomi is an intelligent player and knew his situation. He barely brushed against Ayew. That was not even a foul let alone a yellow card. This was no different than when Eddie fell over in the box in the first half. But this changed the game. And, just to show how inconsistent Coote the referee was, Ayew who had been booked early on, also pulled back (albeit very lightly) a player later on but Coote did not call that.

It was a test we passed though and one that will help us further down the line. The will appreciate how important it is to find a way to win; to defend. In truth they barely forced a save from Ramsdale. In front of him Saliba was always in control (apart from his one slip in the second half).  The vulnerability was without a left-back and with Partey at right back that they would get round the wings. But eventually with the third substitution we moved Partey back into midfield.

Fulham will be interesting. Assuming we can’t appeal the moronic second yellow we’ll be down yet another left-back. This seems to be our cursed position. First Timber then Tomi. Soon no one – apart from Cedric – will want to play left-back. Partey is clearly not a natural right-back though. He really is not comfortable defending. He was pulled out of position and seems to be one tackle away from giving a penalty in the box. Today he just about escaped. But then when he’s pushed into midfield he looks so much more relaxed and confident. Whereas at right back he tends to give the ball away.

Rice on the otherhand continues to shine and excel. Today he was dominant. He reads the game so well and quickly challenges to win the ball back. It’s early days but this looks like money very well spent. He solidifies the team, provides a backbone. And with Saliba behind him helps define the spine of this team.

Have-that still is finding his way. It says a lot about the trust Arteta has in him that he stayed on the pitch for the entire 97 minutes. He was moved into different position as the game and circumstances evolved. I’m still adjusting to his style. He is not a dominant player. He quietly goes about his business. Sometimes you have to watch carefully to see how hard he works and tracks back. He is a little too conservative with his sideways and backwards passing. But he suits our possession game and he seems to work hard to win the ball back. Of course, if I was Trossard, I’d be wondering what it will take to start a game; but the season is long.

Most of our play, of course, was down our left with Saka being the main attacking instrument. Mitchell – who might be a nice addition for us (except he can’t invert) – marked him quite well. Nonetheless, he is still our key threat. On the other side Martinelli actually had a chance in the first few minutes but took too many touches. Thereafter he worked hard and found ways to create as well.

Which leads us to Eddie. What a conundrum he can be.  He hits the post and then misses a relatively more straight-forward chance. He is a natural poacher – each of these instances demonstrated that. He was unlucky with the first but will be having nightmares over the second. But he continued to work hard, make himself available against a packed-defense. And then earned us the penalty with his quick movement and thinking. A clear penalty. Sure Partey stood in the way of their defender but Eddie already well and truly lost his marker. So, thankfully, VAR did not intercede. In fact, more generally, when you think back to when VAR first appeared there is a clear change now. We are moving away from re-referring to the expected “clear and obvious standard”. Sure, it will surely fuck us at some point this year but the direction of travel is right.

At that stage it felt we’d then benefit from Palace attacking more and thus allow us to create more chances. But Coote robbed us of that. Overall though it’s clear Arteta is trying a different approach this year. It’s not clear this will work but we have to give it time. I remain unconvinced by Partey at right-back but without Zinny, he wants the ability of Partey to invert. And he wants to fit Have-that into the team. The balance though is not quite there. Odergaard did not get to create too much today. Often we played at pedestrian pace.

Of course, we’ve played two teams the live and die by the low-block. I’m not sure we’ll see that from Fulham on Saturday. And, that approach constrains the space. But it just feels like we’re a little light on the creative spark. It feels like there is too much of an imbalance in this team. We don’t have proper full-backs and we have Have-that still trying to adapt to our style of play.

Maybe against the more expansive teams we will see that creative side sparkle – as we did for long periods last year. At this point, of course, the most important thing is to gather the three points as we take the time to get comfortable with Artetas’ new approach.

I’ve already mentioned it, but how refreshing is it to see such strong players coming off the bench. Jorghino, Zinny and Kiwior. In part years that would be Numo, Sambi and Pepe (and even Cedric). So this squad depth thing is real.

Around us we see some interesting competition. Those wankers down the road have finally figured out how to play football. Just at the point they have sold their generational goal-scorer and now, instead, have to rely on Richarlison to score them goals. What perfect karma is that. And United looked, as ever, bereft of ideas. Truly a team of individuals. Brighton looks very impressive. Both on the field and in the bank.

Their bank balance blooms (no pun intended) just as LAChelsea hoover up yet more youthful players just as we realize that a little bit of experience can help guide you through. They will surely regret selling Kovacic. And while we’re talking about LAChelsea, it should be noted that while the entire summer has been spent bleating (not by me I hope) about the wanton amount of  money that the Saudis have been throwing at headline grabbing players, we should not exclude LAC from this. They have spent an outrageous amount of money. It’s beyond careless. There has to be some accountability for this. As potentially damaging to football as the Saudis spending is, the more clear and present danger is from LAC behaviour. And, as ever where is the FA on this? To their credit Newcastle, with all that government money have been far more judicious. They have been targeted and careful – not wildly overpaying. LAC somehow can sweep up two £100m+ midfielders and then casually add Lavia.

If a team ever deserved to self-destruct it would be LAC (well, in addition to those wankers down the road). City look imperious but clearly will miss KDB and Liverpool seemed to have picked up a couple of good additions even if they don’t seem to be quite at the level they used to be.

That leaves us with six points and a long road ahead. We need to figure out the right balance for this team. I’d like to see Gabriel back. But, again, I think this is all part of Arteta taking the Pep approach of rotating particular players and changing formations to suit the opponents.

Today was yet another test we passed. Only 36 more to do. I have to learn to pace myself. We just have to be close by in February/March. Until then, we should enjoy this team, the results and watch in admiration as Rice, Saliba, Odergaard and Saka drive this team forward.

-LB7

August 12th – Arsenal 2 Nottingham Forest 1

And so it begins. Another season commences but this time with expectations. The first time in over ten years. And with three points that’s a fine start to the season. Aside from the blip a few years back at Brentford we’re a pretty good bet for the first game of the season.

With a (nearly) full squad Arteta made a few interesting selections. Leaving Gabriel on the bench and going to a back three was more than justified. Forest elected to play attack versus defense. Barely crossing the half-way line. The preverbal park-the-bus strategy. It certainly does not make for interesting football or great entertainment. But that that’s what we can expect this season. Especially after we crushed them last year (at home). And, given the scoreline, they might well argue it was justified.

In fact, they could have taken a shock early lead if Johnson could shoot straight. A great chance through some careless defending. You can put that down to the unfamiliar defensive shape. Now that the wankers down the road have sold off their once in a generation asset, maybe they can – in the spirit of how they used the Bale money – acquire Johnson for $50m to play alongside that Conniving Ugly Nasty Tosser Richarlison.  

Thereafter, our wingers changed the game. Though most of our controlled play originated on the left through the brilliant Saka, that first goal came from Martinelli. As much as I love Trossard, it’s hard not to start our little Brazilian. Sure, there was a little luck involved but, as ever, his first move is forward, to take on and challenge the defenders(s). Then it rolled to Eddie who with the help of the defection from the man-mountain that had been tracking him evaded Turner. Thoroughly deserved and that helped us to relax a little.

And then the masterclass from Saka landed our second. It started with the Rolls Royce that is Saliba winning the ball back from the corner, a few interchanges with Odegaard and White before Saka unleashes a glorious shot. Unstoppable. This boy is priceless for this team.

Thereafter we went into cruise control. Given how deep Forest sat and how little room there was to work in it made our passing seem just too slow. But by then we were comfortably in charge. So it was a canter for the first 82 minutes at which point it became slightly edgy. Aside from their goal I’m not sure Ramsdale actually had a shot to save.

This goal reminded me of the kind of breakaway goal Wengers team would concede. I have painful memories of a goal just like this away at Swansea over a decade ago. As it did not cost us any points let’s just help it’s a learning moment for a young team. But it was noticeable that it was Rice, Trossard and White tracking back here. Why we would leave our defense so overexposed like this is naive.

At that point it made sense to bring on Gabriel to revert to a back four and see our the game even if it was more tense than needed. But, again, this was a good experience for this team. Even if you completely dominate the game, and you don’t press home your advantage, there is always the chance to concede a goal and change the momentum.

Most of the game felt like a stroll though. In hindsight, Forest should have pressed more in the second half as we seemed to be playing in second gear. I’m sure part of this is based on the new players, formations and tactics that Arteta is trying out. I liked the back three but we certainly lost something when Timber was felled (sorry). Let’s hope this is a minor injury because he has been a valuable addition to our team. It was good to see Tomi slot in but, again, Tierney must be wondering about opportunities in northern Spain. For me, this just amplifies again why you need such a deep and well stocked squad. One game and one injury. So please keep Tierney hanging around. For a game like this, against a defensive Forest, we did not need the defensive capability of Tierney.

Rice seems to have slotted in seamlessly. Often drifting out to the left and then dropping back to pick up the ball from the defense, Rice looks so commanding. Have-that was interesting. He seems to float around, mainly passing backwards. It feels like he is still finding his way. A little cautious and hesitant. He is such a different player to Xhaka. In the second half he drifted into the middle and, sometimes, out to the right where Saka and Odegaard hang out. And then Arteta moved him into Eddies spot. Arteta clearly has great faith in him and is giving him ample time to adjust to our style. Today he glided around with some nice touches but did not, in any sense, dominate. But overall he was pretty good. Of course, I remain a little skeptical but I’ll give him time.    

Odergaard is so pivotal to our creativity. When he is on the ball he seems to instinctively know how to open up the defense. It took him a while to get into the game but he is the one part of this team for which we don’t seem to have a replacement. And I say that knowing that Saka would also seem to be irreplaceable. Odegaard needs to be wrapped in cotton wool. Surrounding him though we had Partey who quietly controlled the midfield without any of his customary sloppiness.

As much as Arteta got the formation right it just felt that, especially from the point we were 2-0 up, that there lacked some urgency and pace to our game. We seemed to operating in pre-season mode at times. Again, I’m sure some of this is down to figuring out how to accommodate Rice and Have-that and the brickwall of Forest. But aside from the two goals we did not force Turner to make too many saves. Of course, at the other end I can’t remember Ramsdale having to make any saves.

With the vast array of coaches, sports scientists, and statisticians at Arteta’s disposal, the one coach that we’re screaming out for is a throw-in coach. We seem to take forever and an age to get the ball back in play. We saw last season the number of times our throw-ins would often lead directly to attempts on our own goal (and actual goals). Today it would often take 30 seconds and then we’d lose possession. I’m not an expert at throw-ins – my expertise is particularly limited to food consumption – but there seems to be a lack of player movement and speed of thought.

As much as it was expected, it’s important to collect the first 3 points of the season. Most teams won’t be as dull as Forest and that will enable us to play more freely. Also, our team needs time to continue to develop and evolve. Arteta is clearly moving to a different model for this year. Last year we had the most consistent and stable team selection; you could predict – aside from injuries – who would be our starting eleven. This year, Arteta looks like he has fully embraced the Pepe City model. Constant rotation. Last year we suffered when Saliba was injured. We have more depth now. And Arteta, I suspect, will make everyone work for their place. Only core players – Odegaard, Rice, Saka and Saliba – will be close to ever present. Not even Ramsdale will make that list now. Though I pray he does.

Success this year will be the top 4 again. That is the goal that, previously, our own fans used to deride Wenger for achieving. But in Wengers era, we were short of money and barely invested in the squad. Now though we have made hefty investments. But to expect to dislodge City is overly optimistic. As long as KDB is playing along with their ugly Norwegian, it’s going to take some mighty slip up from them. They have the experience, age and squad depth that we’re only just attaining. We are closing that gap but it still exists.

Around us though there is more competition than has ever existed in the EPL. It’s way beyond the top 6 now. We have, maybe, 9 teams potentially competing for the top 4 slots – or top 3 if you assume where City will land. Liverpool can’t be as poor as last year even if they have lost their midfield to the desert of Saudi and can’t seem to convince players to join them. Then there is LA Chelsea, still willing to pay vast sums to sign anyone with the advantage of no European football. Of course Newcastle will improve but will be stretched by Champions League. Brighton, will tons of cash, and a seemingly unique recruiting system, will also continue to improve. And there’s that other Manchester team with their dreary coach. Which naturally leads to our old accountant who has resurrected Villa and brought in some good signings. And there, of course, is the wankers down the road.

So, this season, there will be no margin for error. Let’s hope it’s not VAR that is the deciding factor. We were, thankfully, spared any intervention today. So, even though we did not shine so brightly today, we came away with the required three points and Arteta would have learned more about his team today. We will only get better, continue to develop even if we’ll wander off in the wrong direction sometimes. This is a team to watch. The investment is in and this is the year to glue everything together. We are, maybe, one transfer window, away from winning this league. In the meantime, we should enjoy this team, cherish Saka, Odegaard and Rice (and Saliba and White….) and know that we are the club and the team that everyone would like to be.

-LB7

August 6th – Mind the Gap

So, we finally defeated Manchester City. Albeit it on penalties. Albeit an irrelevant contest that no-one will reminder next Saturday. But a victory none-the less.

It turns out Rodri is the new Trump. If he were to walk down 5th avenue and shoot someone, Stuart Attwell would still not brandish a yellow card. In the meantime, Partey was given a yellow card for breathing and Have-that got one because, well, Xhaka was not there to receive one. It really was beyond comprehension given the number of fouls Rodri made. Specifically in the first half when he clearly tugged at Have-that and pulled him back. As clear as daylight. Unless you’re Stuart AttPoor. But let’s not have that that detract from a wonderful day. To snatch victory (meaningless though it was) from defeat against our nemesis was refreshing. If nothing else it should provide the squad with some confidence.

As for the game itself both Eddie and Tierney must be thinking they should have left in the summer. No starts for them today. But it’s hard to see how Tierney gets any playing time. As good as Tommy was when he first appeared from us, Timber reset that bar. He was outstanding today. Note it was only when he went off that the scored down his side. As Zinny has said, this guy could be better than him. He clearly defends better, throwing his body on the line to deflect shots. He was a revelation.

On the other side, with the onlooking England manager watching, White was imperious today. He completely controlled Grealish. White provided great defensive cover with timely headers and up the other end created chances for Have-that. He looked as assured as he did all last season. Great to see him back. It’s a shame that Southgate was only there because he thought McGuire might be playing for one of the teams.

Inside we have Saliba as masterful as ever. He truly is a Rolls Royce. Having him signed to a new contract was one of the best moves we had over the summer. But maybe the best was Rice. He slotted in, worked so hard and added a backbone to our midfield. He’s starting to evolve into that box-to-box player we’ve not had since Ramsey (pre Shawcross broken-leg). Arteta is going to guide this boy to greatness. Alongside him we had Partey who, apart from collection a yellow card for existing, managed to give the ball away in important positions but, at other times, look assured and in control.

Odegaard worked hard, and in periods where we controlled the ball was linking play and dictating the game. Some of his touches and control was sublime.

The front was a little quiet. Saka linked well with White and Odegaard, as they did last season but Have-that and Martinelli were a little quiet. Have-that demonstrated some nice hold up play. Of course, he’ll remembered for those two misses. The first one was tough but he should have scored with that second one. I’m not sure that Jesus would have either. But let’s not forget that Martinelli should have also scored there. But he won’t attract any scrutiny.

City dominated the first 20 minutes. It took time for us to grow into the game. Of course, having AttPoor given them all the decisions did not help. But overtime we found our way back into the game. We looked more assured than last year. You could see the improvement. But City are still pretty impressive. The gap between us though is closing. And we have age on our side. KDB is one hamstring injury away from ruining their season. Though when Foden came on he skinned Partey to initiate their goal. They got a lucky deflection off of Rice and then the newly arrived Tierney gave the ball back back to them.

This was their one time to beat the impressive Ramsdale. He saved us – literally – in this game. That save from Foden was the decider. And he even saved a penalty. As I said the other day, we don’t need Raya to replace him. At a decently low price I’d take him as a backup. But Aaron is our man.

Trossard must be wondering what he needs to do to win a starting place. Because when he came on he provided more options, more incisiveness and ultimately our goal. His instincts, control and poise are unmatched. He has been a true bargain.

So, despite the appalling AttPoor, the reserves beat the first team today. City might, rightfully, be the favourites for the title, but today showed that we, the reserve team, continue to make progress. We continue to close the gap. But we still have to mind the gap. It’s another long season, with Champions League football, but our squad is stronger than ever. So we continue to move in the right direction.

And we already have more trophies this year than that lot down the road have had in the last 15 years. So much to be positive about. Just when we thought it was going to be safe in the post-Dean era, the PGMOL have trained up another Frankenstein. However, we have the comfort of knowing that AttPoor won’t be refereeing all our games this year.

So cometh the end of pre-season. The grown up stuff starts next week. Time for me to put down my pre-season training wheels and gear up for the real thing. I remain excited and nervous. Fearful of the refereeing and intrigued to see Rice and Timber elevate this team. And to see whether Have-that can prosper. We have much to look forward toward. And, as ever, we start the season TOTL.

-LB7

August 5th – In defense of Aaron

There are many things in the world I don’t understand and don’t expect to ever comprehend.

Let’s start with the highlight of the past few weeks. The one that made me laugh the loudest. I mean, if this did not make you laugh then I fear you’ve already been pronounced dead and you just don’t know it.

How is it that the owner of the wankers down the road is even more stupid that we knew? It’s not enough to oversee the appointment of Harry Redknapp, AVB, Morinho and Conte (to name just a few). But he’s stupid enough to share (allegedly; thank you Mr and Mrs Lawyer) inside trading information with his pilots, chefs and others in his employment. I mean, when you have billions of dollars, rather than put them in jeopardy would it not be easier to just pay them a little more from your bags of gold? It’s mind-blowing funny though. When you thought that club could not be more incompetent, they find ways to plum new depths. It tells you all you need to know about their leadership and management expertise.

My hope here is that their glorious leader is now tied up in his legal related activity such that collectively they are unable to extract themselves for long enough to figure out how to sell the club to someone in the Middle East nor how to self-off their primary asset to Bayern Munich. In addition to be the dumping ground for all of LA Chelseas managers maybe they’ve taken a leaf our of Abramovich’s book on how to further tarnish a club and any resemblance of respectability. It’s all quite heartening and highly amusing.

So, while this is borderline incomprehensible, it brings me to my point. Why are we looking to replace, upgrade or challenge Aaron? It does not make sense. Not that all prior moves of Arteta have made sense at the time. And I acknowledge that he has a slightly superior track record in making football decisions than I have (currently). And I remain a fervent believer in Arteta. But this one escapes me. Of course, I felt the same way about Jorginho and have been proven wrong on that one. Though I still expect to be right on the current Vieira.

So why would we pay £40m for Raya? When we had Leno and spent £30m on Aaron no-one thought that made sense. Having watched Ramsdale, I thought this was a smart move that would help the team. Ramsdale has helped lift this team up. So, why do we need Raya?

The argument that we need competition in every position does not hold for goalkeepers. You can have White and Tommy compete for the right back position because both are versatile enough to move to other positions. In fact, the primary characteristics of new signings seems to be their versatility. But that does not hold for goalkeepers. Only one can play while the other has to occupy the bench. There are no other opportunities. I’ve yet to see a goalie play left back (though they would have been an upgrade on Santos).

So, the idea of believing this will provide competition is bogus. Even City with all their money have not gone done the path of having to world-class, high quality goalies. Imagine that. Not even City.

Next, Raya is older than Ramsdale by a few years. So, who will be patient enough to wait out their time? It took Ramsdale 3 games to take over from Leno. How long will Raya wait?

And, if we have a spare £40m to splash around couldn’t we spend it on something that actually plugs an obvious gap in our squad? For instance, a back up to Saka? Or to Jesus? You can’t spend £40m on a backup goalie. Or £30m. Maybe if he cost £15m or £20m and we sold Turner for £15m, then that might make some sense and clearly place Raya as a backup. But you can’t pay £30m+ for a backup goalie. What would that say to Ramsdale? That basically we have no faith in him and that he will be replaced. And if that’s not the case, then you’ll have Raya sitting around expecting to play and becoming upset and disruptive.

Ramsdale has added personality and character to this team. Aside from supporting the team I want to support players that clearly demonstrates a connection to the club, players and fans. A personality; someone with character. And that is Ramsdale. This is the type of player that should be the backbone of the club for 10 years or more. He is as close to Seaman and Lehman as anyone we’ve had in 10 years. If, after watching him for two years you are still unconvinced you should read the brilliant interview he gave for Players Tribune.

You can’t rotate goalies. They need to play consistently to develop an understanding with the defenders. In the same way we don’t rotate center-halfs. You need consistency in defense.

The amount we pay for Raya will tell us whether he’s a backup or his here to genuinely replace Ramsdale. Because Ramsdale won’t hang around if he is no longer our number 1 keeper. And then we’re back looking for another backup keeper.

The only play that makes sense here is that we want sign Raya to prevent Bayern Munich from spending money on him. And thus, saving all they money up to acquire the number 10 from down the road. That I could buy-into. That would make me laugh.

Ok, that’s it for now. This pre-season is proving quite interesting. And I’ve yet to react to the new, most wonderful, statute of Wenger the King of Kings, Emperor of Highbury.

-LB7

July 23rd – PreSeason 2023/2024

Welcome to the inaugural pre-season posting. I have dragged myself off the beach, away from the cricket and away my journey of self-discovery searching for my inner, true, more sensitive and caring self. I failed miserably, which had been my hope. Not one being interested in  embracing change, I’ve instead focused on trying to increase my vocabulary, grammar and spelling. I’ve even been practicing joined up writing.

We have a lot of ground to cover. But let me kick-off this kick-off by recapping the last game of the season – the 5-0 drubbing of Wolves. Enough said.

Now, moving on, as most of you are aware, this blog is brought to you free of adverts, commercials and subscriptions. It is here for the entire world to consume, to bring joy to Arsenal fans everywhere without limitations. However, times are changing. Since the end of the season we here at BB&Beyond have been in discussions with the Saudi Professional League to be their website of choice. Bradybergmapandbeyond brought to you by the Saudi Premier League. Commercial terms, while still under discussion, would be for £500,000,000 per week. However, it feels like the Saudi’s refuse to meet all our terms. The deal breaker for them is our insistence that, in order to close the deal, one of their co-owned 4 SPL teams sign from us Cedric.

The cold war is breaking out in football. It’s the West against the Middle East. Which region can acquire as many POMD – Players of Mass Destruction. There also seems a fair amount of ageism going on. Players have to wait until they are over 30 before being offered ginormous salaries to play in the sand dunes. Or retire to Florida with your favourite tatooed ex-players. Liverpool seemed to have been quite careless with their midfield. Most are now missing. City are also losing the odd player. Weirdest of all was Neves deciding to end his career prematurely for bags of gold. Whereas Barcelona, after the tragedy of seeing Messi move to PSG, has now seen yet more iconic players move to Florida. The ineptness of Barcelona stands right up there with the distorted financial maneuverings of Real Madrid.  

So, the economic insanity of football continues. Fortunately, we have owners who are above all of that. Having earned their money the hard way – marrying into it. We have continued to make structural changes to our team. Last year we more than exceeded expectations even if we disassembled at the end of the season. As we seem to make a habit of. But that can’t take away from the resurgence since Arteta and Edu have taken over. Just look at the players they inherited compared to our team today. Dare I remind us of the days of David Luiz, Mustafa, Kolinsac, Sokratis. And the continued reinvestment has continued this summer.

Rice has been on the radar for at least six months. That is a world-class addition. He’ll need some time to bed in but what a brilliant player. And, this time, LA Chelsea did not manage to intervene. City joined in merely to try and make us pay more. But we got this done early.

In addition, we added Timber and Have-That. Timber looks like a classic Arteta addition. I’m not so sure about Have-That; I fear he could be a Vieira (current not past) type player. Either way, there is a clear statement here. What we lacked was squad depth. We’ve addressed that. Hopefully we hold onto Tierney. Our backline now looks like it could, if necessary, survive without Big Willie. It even looks strong enough to survive the departure of Cedric; the last remaining remnant of the sad reign of Sanllehi.

Our transition continued with the departure of Xhaka. Though this was pretty well telegraphed he will be missed. He also started in Arleta’s first game.  Most importantly we’ll miss his leadership. And I fear Have-That is not an upgrade here. But at least we’ll have ESR returning to help. With the clarity of hindsight, we wasted a number of years of Xhaka. When we acquired him, we deployed him in a defense midfield role that just highlighted his lack of recovery speed and put in him a position to accumulate yellow cards and red cards.

BTW, a small digression, so much has happened since the season ended, but did you see that the unassuming and introverted referee of many masterful performance – Michael Dean – has finally fully retired? From VAR as well. Peace be upon us. Also, as part of our commitment here to further educate, see that FIFA has tweaked the offside rule. This would make a player onside if any part of the attacker is in line with the defender. In other words, offside if there’s any daylight between the defender and attacker. It won’t be trialed in the EPL but it will cause some chaos in Italy, Sweden and Holland.  

It looks like Partey will remain with us for another season. He fell apart at the end of last season. Signing Rice provides us with more capacity and will lighten our load on him. Along with Jorginho and, even, Elneny. But, we still need Partey but with Rice to share the load. There is also another Africa Cup of Nations. If we sold him to the SPL we’d only have to go off and find a replacement. Too much change in one season for me. Last year was about bringing in Zinny and Jesus. This year it’s already three new additions. So, let’s SOP – Save our Partey. We need to party more not less.

There should be more movement in the opposite direction now. Otherwise, we’ll have a LA Chelsea like squad. Pepe. Sambi, Tavares and, of course, Cedric will hopefully move on. And we’ve already lost Maitland-Niles. I hope he at least lands somewhere substantial; I always liked him he just made a few poor decisions. The only major decision left is between Eddie and Balogun. The tea-leaves seem to be in Eddie’s favour. I’ve not seen a lot of Balogun – just highlights – so it’s hard to compare the two. But we’ll only retain one. Hopefully we at least get a sell-on clause for Balogun. Any maybe we’ll take that money and find a suitable backup for Saka. Because, with the Champions League, we can’t afford to overplay him like we did last season. We have to have a viable alternative – and it’s certainly not Vieira.

Maybe we should try and bring over Kane; a renowned Arsenal fan. His time with those wankers is surely over. It’s hard to see why he’d waste the end of his career with that lot. If they had any sense (I know, I know) they’d have sold him already and invested that money in early pre-season. It would be quite something to see him leave on a free at the end of next season.

Which leads us to United. How classless was it for them to dispose of De Gea in that manner. Sure, he was a liability. But for 10+ years he’d been their best player. He had saved them on numerous occasions and been the constant thread from Ferguson through their rotating managers. Sure, the game had moved on and he was incapable of playing the ball with his feet – like Leno and Lloris – but offering him a contract and then pulling it. Oh my. But at least their ownership had yet to be sorted out. That’s a healthy distraction. Sure to tie their entitled supporters in knots.

Which leads us too yesterday. I refuse to review any pre-season game. Though I did watch the MLS game and the United one. For me, I just wanted to see us try different ideas and tactics. And burn in the new players. As the great Wenger used to say, you can’t change an entire team in one window (sorry, Chelsea) and we’re changing some key areas. Rice is with us – hopefully – for 10 years not 10 minutes. This team will need time to settle down and re-discover its rhythm.

This season will be under more pressure. Expectation will certainly be higher. Last year raised the bar. Personally, I suspect we’ll have a similar outcome in the league. Until Pep leaves, and given their money, it’s hard to see anyone else wining the league. But we should definitely expect to compete and also make meaningful progress in the Champions League. My belief has always been that we’d need 3 to 4 transfer windows and then some time to settle in. Which could be the following season. But in the interim a number of other teams will be improved – LA Chelsea, Saudi Newcastle and those wankers down the road. So, the league will be even more competitive.

Thankfully though we continue to make investments and spend money. No-one can complain about the owners now. They have spent oodles of money. After the Aubameyang, Cigarette, Ozil era we are finally bring in the right profile of players – White, Ramsdale, Willy, Tomi, Zinny etc. Sure, there are still misses – Sambi, Tavares and, of course, Vieira. But we are so far ahead of where I thought we’d be that I’m happy to sit back and relax for the balance of the summer. As the world boils to melting point, grain prices start to rise again, and the polar ice caps melt we can rest assured our team is in capable hands and that we will be competitive next season. As long as the planet is still here for us. And as long as Cedric isn’t.

More drivel to come before August 12th.

-LB7

May 20th – Nottingham Forest 1 Arsenal 0

Yawn. Wake me up in August. That was poor. Not in the sense of being without money but in the sense of being without point, without energy, without structure, without ideas. This was about as pointless as I can remember. Even against Brighton we created more, tried harder and had more structure. And that’s two games in a row where we’ve not scored.

We knew we were not about to win the league today but we at least expected a performance consistent with how we had played this season. Instead, we reverted back to old Arsenal. This was thoroughly pointless. Slow, directionless and without purpose. We could have played for another week and I doubt we’d have scored.

So, why you might ask, were we a witness to such unfiltered drivel. It’s essentially the same players as we’ve used this season. Sure, they might be deflated because they couldn’t win the league. I think we all know the answer. This one was on Arteta. Everything he touched turned to stone. Or a rock. Or a pile of pooh.

If I was Tierney I’d be handing in my transfer request now. Sure, we’ve not been at our best lately. But since we introduced Kiwior we’ve found some defensive stability. So, what did we do today? Arteta moved Kiwior to left-back. Then moved White to center-half and plonked the Pathetic Partey at right back. A classic disaster right from the start. To accommodate one problem – no Zinny – we moved three players out of position. Though to be fair White looked very comfortable back in his original position. And all in order not to play Tierney.

Everything about this change reeked of a disaster. We lose any capability down our left-hand side. Kiwior is a great addition to this team but he is no left -back. Aside from being out run by some random Forest forward he had nothing to do. But he was incapable of supporting Xhaka and Trossard. Consequently, everything was down our right-hand side.

Except that meant it would start with Partey trying to feed Saka. So, this simple change unhinged the entire defense, midfield and attack. At least we left Ramsdale in place. But Saka would not receive the ball how he normally would from White. Partey and White were passing to themselves. Everyone – in particular Jorghino – was pointing at Partey for him to move into different positions. Poor Partey had no clue how to play right back.

I figured though that Arteta would correct his mistake after thirty minutes. And the convinved that at half-time we’d see us settle back to our normal shape. It was that blindly obvious. But no, we had to suffer through this drivel for 63 minutes before he brought on Tierney. And then finally we had a little movement on our left. But Tierney must understand by now that Arteta won’t use him. I mean, with Zinny out Arteta would select Tomy ahead of him. And now with both out he prefers to rearrange the defense in order not to play him.

And in-between we had to watch – yet again – Odegaard make another sloppy infield pass on the half way line that opened up our defense for their fortunate goal. This was the game. One mistake and one goal. I know we love Odegaard but really, this is not the first time he’s done this. At some point you have to learn from your mistakes. And today Odegaard clearly has not and it does not look Arteta has either. This pass by Odegaard was so sloppy and careless. Identical to the West Ham game. And I think, there was one other game where he did this but, in my deep sadness, I think I’ve blocked out that painful memory.

This is the point where I try and bring some balance of this article. We have to recognize the improvements we’ve seen this season, the quality football and the progression. It’s just a shame none of it was on display today. This was drivel. This was as turgid as it gets. We were without energy, spirit or creativity. The entire balance of the team was wrong. And that’s on Arteta. Ok, so much for balance.

This was one of his worst games for us. And, unfortunately, highlights a blind spot Arteta has shown in the past. His failing with in-game management. How did it take until the 63rd minute to make a change. He should had changed things up after 30 minutes. We wasted so much time doing absolutely nothing. And that’s on Arteta. And even then, we persisted with Partey at right back.

I had assumed Tierney would come in at left back and everyone would slide over with Partey being subbed or moving to midfield. Yet somehow he remained on the pitch. I don’t get what Arteta was trying to do. And yet he removed Xhaka just as a real leftback came on. And then we had to see the vacuous Vieira as well.

What a waste of an afternoon this was. What a waste of momentum. This was a disaster from beginning to the end. This team had no idea how to play together. It was so slow and pointless. Arteta change completely unhinged this team. I kept waiting for us to gel and resume playing how we have all season long. Even when we’ve lost recently, we had some semblance of rhythm and style. Today we looked clueless. Areta confused his own team today. Arteta 1 Arsenal 0.

I don’t mind making changes. That is the only way to learn. And the result was immaterial. But you also have to react when those changes clearly don’t work. Yet Arteta persisted with a clearly failing strategy. At this point of the season, you’re playing for one reason only – next season. You’re setting yourself up for the new season.

But here we are against a bog standard Forest team playing sideways and backwards. Draining all our confidence and momentum. So rather than creating momentum into next season we’re going out with a damp squid. And we’re undermining all the good work we’ve done this season. And this is all on Arteta.

What I did like today was seeing White at center-half. He played confidently and I prefer (with the absence of Saliba) to see him on the ball. Of course, there was no-one ahead of him to receive the ball and Partey had no idea where to be on the right. Which is why we needed White at right -back. Jorginho was solid. But there was minimal movement ahead of him. There was nothing on the left. Trossard was too far away from the action. Jesus darted around but we had no idea how to pick Forest apart.

I’m not sure that Xhaka touched the ball in the first half. This team was so out of balance. But I was convinced Arteta would recognize his mistake and make a change at half-time. Yet we started the second half in the exact same way with the exact same outcome. How could Arteta not see the issue. What does this say about Arteta? Is he this stubborn and rigid? I don’t think so. But is Partey destabilizing at right-back. Der, is the Pope Catholic?

So, in case, I’ve not made my viewpoint clear. Arteta’s team selection was completely flawed. His in-game adjustment were non existent. His opportunity to make changes was wasted and then his substitutions were the wrong players at the wrong time. Apart from that, Arteta was great.

So now the question is whether Arteta persists with this approach or resets and reverts back to what we know works. Does Arteta undermine and derail the progress with this flawed position changed or learn his lesson and put us back to the place where we were progressing. This is really quite worrying at this time of the year to suddenly be confronted by doubts about what Arteta is trying to do. How the fuck do you lose to Forest when they are this shit? But putting your players in a structure that brings out the absolutely worst in them and then not adjusting.

That was a dreary a game as I’ve watched in such a long time. It reminded me of end of era Wenger performances or accountant Emery games. How depressing is that. We had no game today. I don’t understand what he was trying to achieve today. And worst of all, he seemed clueless as to what was happening. How could he not see Poor Partey struggling in this new position?

I could have managed a better Arsenal performance today than Arteta. I’m available if needed for the Wolves game. Because if he insists on leaving Partey at right back he will rapidly lose the crowd being on his side. He will dissipate all the good-will built up this season and contaminate next season. This is the stupidity of it all. We have been slowly going backwards over the last month or so. I thought after the Newcastle game that we’ve figured it out. Bring Kiwior in for Holding. That saves us. So why move Kiwior?

I realize I’m just repeating myself at this stage. But I’m looking for some silver lining. And it’s eluding me. We basically had a week to prepare for this game (or six days) but we had no way to pick apart their wall of nine defenders. We didn’t even blood any of the youngsters on the bench. We did not see SRP. But we did see Vieira. Who managed, at the end, to get in the way of Odegaard in the box. Right after Jesus slipped over when he sighted goal. Nothing worked for us today. This was more than a bad day in the office. This was more like a day spent stuck in a locked car in the parking lot for ninety (or one hundred) minutes.

Sure, Sp*rs lost again. But, there is little satisfaction in that after such an abject, emotionless performance such as this. Because today was as utterly boring and tedious as you could hope for.  Maybe we should just forfeit the next game and go right to our summer holidays. Yet, I want to see what Arteta does in the next irrelevant game. If he still plays Partey at right back then I know we’re really fucked. Because that means Arteta is really fucked.

-LB7