Author: BBandbeyond BBandbeyond

Three-peat. Three losses in a row against bang average teams and then three wins in a row against ostensibly good teams. Three points. And now go off, renew your passport and pack your bags for Europe. Arexit is over. Europe will be putting out banners to welcome us back. In a couple of weeks we’ll know whether it’s the NoHoppaCup or the Champions League. If it were not for that other team competing for 4^th I’d be a tiny bit agnostic. Champions League might require too much of a relaunch of our squad. But I’m buggered if we should give that 4^th place up to those trumped-up wankers.

This was not a riveting game. WHU had their focus on Thursday. Which is a shame for them cause they won’t lift that cup. But for us, we had a below average team against us. Apart from Demolition Rice they are not that scary though Moyes has them actually trying to play football. If only Man United weren’t such egotistical fools he could have saved them a lot of pain.

We missed White today even if Holding held us together. In addition to our first goal – and his first ever in the Premier League – his willingness to throw himself at any shot and his defensive heading provided the needed stability. Arguably he’s as good as defender as White albeit a little slower. The issue is more on the creative side which White excels at. Having Tomi alongside him was a welcome sight. Even for his first game he locked down anything on their right and was so much more reliable with his distribution.

Gabriel had to deal with chaos on his left. Our boy Nuno – or, rather, Ohno – was his usual disaster. I can’t believe WHU did not target him more. Listen, I know Arteta continues to talk him up and explain that as a youngster he needs time to settle in, learn and develop. But, honestly, I wish that would happen in someone else’s team. Today he gave the ball away, failed to close down their wingers, overdribbled when in possession and generally destabilized the entire team. All these dangerous crosses came from his side. For their first goal he should have prevented the cross but, as ever, his starting position for when Rice pass the ball out to their winger was way off – he was too central – and then failed to close him down. Even when Ramsdale managed to save Rice’s header from the corner and the ball fell in the 6 yard area dear old Ohno managed to lose his footing. Against any team with a decent right winger he will be pulled apart. When we play the wankers they will have a field day with Ohno. He is just not ready. And shows no indication of learning his lessons. In the first half (I think) he stormed up field and drove into 3 WHU players as opposed to releasing the ball. Now we have assured entry into Europe (assuming we fill out all the COVID paperwork and remember to take all those tests) I suppose we have less to lose. But, unless we switch Cedric to the left, we are in for a very painful 4 games. He will certainly cause us to concede goals and drop points. He is an absolute liability with no indication of progressing. His throw-ins are a certain turnover. His marking is so lacks. His positioning is nearly always wrong – see how everyone shouted at him when they scored. They knew was at fault. I’m going to need a ton of therapy for the remainder of the season. He drives me fucking nuts. And I don’t see that changing until Tesco Tierney comes back.

I suppose sign of a maturing team is winning when we don’t play well. By that standard we must be pretty mature then. We were solidly defensively – excluding Ohno of course – with Elneny and Xhaka providing good cover. There was little creativity though. Saka shone – as ever – and Eddie worked hard. Odegaard did not see too much of the ball. Our problem is the left hand side now. Obviously that starts with Ohno. But even Martinelli was off today. His passing was off and he was peripheral for most of the game though he did set up the winning goal. All our action was down our right. A combination of Tomi, Odegaard and Saka is skillfull and inventive enough to trouble any team. Unfortunately, the combination of Ohno, Xhaka and Martinelli just are not at the same level. Not to blame Xhaka who again – aside for two careless give aways – was quite solid and creative.

Eddie should have scored today. He had two breakaways. Not that Cigarette would have been able to even get into those positions as he lacks Eddie’s pace. But today, when he dropped deeper, was able to help with the link up play. He won’t win the ball in the air but he will work hard. By the end he was knackered. He’s not played in a long-long time. He needs time to build up his match fitness. But he helps our team and continues to warrant his starting pace.

I thought Arteta should have changed things up quicker in the second half. ESR should have come on sooner but not for Saka but in place of Martinelli. And adding Sambi was delayed too long. Luckily WHU were pretty toothless. I’m not sure Ramsdale had a shot to save in the second half. But we did just enough today. It’s not too often we end up with two goals each from our center-halfs. Grinding out 3 points when your sub-par though is a critical skill for any team. You can’t rip up every team you play. And, though there was a lot missing from our game today, the fact that we walked away with 3 points is yet further evidence of the progress of this team. This is the kind of result we should have been able to earn against Palace, Brighton or Southampton. Maybe we just can’t get points south of the Thames.

That is most likely the last time Mike Dean will ever referee a game of ours. It was shocking to me that Xhaka did not somehow managed to pick up a yellow card. And that Dean did not send any of our players off. It says something about the state of referring in this country when he is no longer the poster child for appalling refereeing – for that, please see Paul Tierney. I thought VAR might have stolen Gabriels goal from us but we were spared that injustice. For the last three games we seem to have more luck on our side. Long may it continue. We’ll need it on Sunday against Leeds. We have to win that. Liverpool should demolish the wankers (who will hopefully pick up numerous illnesses, diseases and red cards). Which would leave us 5 points ahead with three games left. Then a draw at their shitty place should be just about enough given that a resurgent Burnley should put them to the sword. That or we’ll need to order some pizza for them. So let’s hope both Tomi and Saka can recharge their batteries and that White can also recover – we’ll need his creativity against Leeds. But they will be dangerous as they will be desperate for points. It’s just a shame Chelski let us down today. They really do like to concede embarrassing goals.

So, I just realized, no more Saturday fixtures for us this season. It’s some hodgepodge of Sundays, Thursday and Monday.  But we are close now. And even if we do find a way to trip up (yes, Ohno, I’m talking about you) we’ve already qualified for Europe. Before the season started we’d have taken that. And after the first three games no-one would have thought that was possible. But three wins in a row and the three points today now have us even looking at third place. But I’d settle for 4^th, thank you very much. And, just to spite those upstart wankers.  Call me bitter (spell correct tried to turn that into butter) if you want. But, after an uninspired three points today we’ve hit our first milestone and now I can start to think of how I’d like others to suffer. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s really quite normal. And healthy. That’s’ why we are real fans.

-LB7

A tail of two penalties. And two teams going in opposite directions. This was not the Chelski game. This was harder work, more nerve wracking and therefore less enjoyable to watch. Not because of United but us. The team picked itself after Wednesday. That perfect start seemed to surprise us. But we dominated them from the start and deservedly went 2-0 up before they pulled one back.

Today though, I felt that we lost our way for periods of the first half and for a large part of the second. And most of the cause was individual mistakes and sloppiness. And both can be traced back to our fullbacks.

Two, for me, was the theme of the day – two unreliable full-backs, two solid mid-field players, two captains both on the bench and two penalties.

Even with the first goal to his credit Tavares was an unmitigated disaster today. A complete liability. You could see his confidence ebb away from him as the game went on. In the first half a lovely Ronaldo flick put through Elanga in a foot race with Tavares which he lost and was close to conceding a penalty and being sent off. Ramsdale bailed us out of that. But in the second half he continued to find ways to give the ball away in simple situations. He holds onto the ball for too long. He overcomplicates his possession and allows the attacker to close down the space. You can see the damage he does to Gabriels mental state. There were times when he was shouting at Tavares to get into the right position. Then, of course, there was their penalty. Who the fuck jumps up leading with their hand? By the end I was screaming at Arteta to get him off the pitch. And especially after he gave the ball away again and then pulled the guys short for a yellow card. Then I was shouting at the ref to send him off thus ensuring he could not play against West Ham. To say that Tavares is young and developing is like saying my bald head still has a chance of growing back a full head of vibrant, lush, long hair. It ain’t going to happen. He lacks commons football sense and will continue to disrupt our defense.

On the other side we had Cedric continuing to make poor passing decisions and generally destabilize our own defense. Sancho was running rings round him – as, to be fair, he would to most defenders. But a prime example was when Ramsdale made another save at his near post and, as the ball bobbled, rather than allowing Ramsdale to collect it, he hoofed it out but miscued for a corner. Thankfully, we had the pleasure of Tomi making a cameo appearance in the last few minutes. Maybe, we can switch one liability for another. Cedric can switch to the left and consign Tavares to the bench.

This was a vital victory. We deserved to win but, man, we used up that luck we did not have against Southampton. They hit the bar, had a marginal offside goal disallowed and, most importantly of all – the match turning point – missed their penalty. At this stage we had lost control of the game. As the second half wore on we could not keep the ball or impose ourself. But fortunately, we were saved by Xhaka with an immense goal. Which, we were lucky, was not deemed offside. Eddie obscured the view of De Gea. But this was a worthy reward for Xhaka. With Elneny alongside him he is able to play a more central role. All good things, like on Wednesday, ran through him. He does not have to play so deep – that is what Elneny does – and consistently was able to release Odegaard and Saka. As immense as Saka was today, I thought Xhaka was the key. And it was a pleasure to see him lap up the adulation from the crowd after his goal – we’ve not seen that in many years.

Elneny is helping this team. He picks up the ball from the defense and keeps the ball flowing. He takes pressure off of White and Gabriel. He is available to receive and keeps it simple. And, given the space United afforded both him and Xhaka, he was able to link up play in a way that Sambi can’t. Between them, these two provide a solid springboard to help feed both Odegaard and Saka. I exclude ESR because today he was somewhat peripheral. But after his masterful goal on Wednesday, that can be forgiven. But if I was Martinelli, sitting on the bench, I’d be pissed.

Eddie should still retain his place. Though he missed a key opportunity he worked hard, linked up well and gives pace and energy to us. Unfortunately, the goal he did score was offside – it looked offside in real-time – but amazingly VAR then helped us with a penalty. Again, luck was favouring us today. In prior games we’d not have got that call. BTW, how shabby was their defense. Even without the forehead of Maguire, Varane and Dalot conspired to gift us our first goal. And then Dalot was careless with charging into Saka.

Saka was immense today. All good things run through him. His partnership with Odegaard continues to blossom. I love the fact that he took the penalty and was not intimidated by the wait or the United players. That two penalties in two games and both because of fouls on Saka. It’s the Noah’s Ark of football.

Odegaard continues to create and influence this team in pivotal ways. His vision is Ozil-like but with a workethic lacking in the German. We saw him work hard and chase back to help out his team. But in the final third you want the ball at his feet (or Sakas). Odegaard quickness of thought created our opportunities today. It was just surprising that United afforded him so much space in that first half. And then as the game stretched again, he came back into it. Though, once Saka went off it was noticeable how he lacked his colleague as an effective outlet.

But these pairings are what is energizing this team. White and Gabriel locking up the defense, Xhaka and Elneny in midfield and then Saka and Odegaard. That’s a new type of spine for a team. All supported with Ramsdale. His distribution has still not gotten back to his pre injury state – case in point his pass in the first half straight to McTominay. And sometimes his decision to pass out from the back is scary. But he is nothing but brave in his decisions. Today he made a number of vital saves. Whereas on Wednesday he had little today United had their chances. But he was able to repel them. The save in the second half when he was able to flick their full backs shot (I think it was Telles) onto the post.

This was a much closer game than the scoreline would indicate. As poor as United are, on another day they could have levelled the score with the penalty, or seen some of those shots ricochet from the bar or post into the net. We were not as dominant as we were against Chelsea. But today the force was with us. Luck favours the brave. And United were anything but. Actually, I thought Ronaldo was one of their better players. He created, inevitably scored and linked up well and worked hard. Whereas most of the rest of them looked clueless. So why did they get of Ole? How exactly did Rangnick help them? What a shambles of a club they are. And to announce their new manager when the season is at this pivotal stage is so Sp*rs-like.  On the topic of managers, ours just about pulled all the right strings today. By keeping the team unchanged to finally putting Holding on to shore things up. He clearly trusts the man with a full head of hair. Once he got on the field, we seemed much more stable.

So another unexpected victory even if a more edge of the seat one. There are now five more games left – more than 10% of the season. Who knows which Arsenal turns up. With such a young, inexperienced team we have seen higher peaks and lower valleys. And that will continue. After that 3 game slump who knows? Today we saw both sides of us. The period in the second half when we look lost and you just knew that one of Cedric or Tavares would make a brain-dead mistake. And against WHU, a team of grizzled, veteran grown-ups, we will be bullied and harried. Let’s just hope they have one eye on their NoHoppa semi-final and their injury list. And let’s hope Saka has not picked up an injury that keeps him out of the team. He is key to our success now. His leadership and assertiveness in this team is becoming clearer with every game. And manifests itself with him taking the penalties. Which, after the Euros, is a brave decision from a 20 year old. But he is our spiritual leader now. And we need him.

So, we can regain our breath now after two crucial games over the last four days and enjoy the glow of six points. We seemed to have finally turned that corner and left behind the despair of that three game loosing streak. We have put ourselves back in contention for the Champions League. And also established a solid fallback position to the NoHoppa Cup. We can still blow this. But others are finding ways to drop points. Let’s hope the real Chelski turns up tomorrow and that they’ve sorted out all their problems with the playing surface at the Bridge. A few more WHU injuries and red cards would be welcome.

-LB7

Knock me down with a feather. What just happened? This was pre international break Arsenal. I thought we’d lost that team to be replaced by the hollow team of the last three weeks. Where have they been?

We scored a goal without a deflection. And then proceeded to score yet more. Let’s ignore for the moment that we conceded. We played stylish, open, creative football. We controlled large parts of the game. We also defended (in the second half) in a coherent and coordinated manner. This was reminiscent of how Arteta structured us in our F A Cup run. 

After seeing the team selected I assumed (as I had after the last match) that we were royally fucked. There was no way we could compete with bankrupt chelski. But this was Artetas day. Everything he touched turned to goals and three points. As wrong as he got it against Brighton was more than offset by how every move he made was perfect. Against the master tactician Teuchel he out tacticed him. From the initial move back to a back three to every in game adjustment. Whereas we’ve question his slowness to adapt, for this game he was one step ahead of each of their moves. And how animated was he on the touch line. Compare that to his passive and sullen presence on the touch line against Palace and Brighton. He believed in this team today (technically yesterday).

The transformation of this team was amazing to watch. To see the progressive team of this season reassert itself was uplifting and completely unexpected. It makes you believe in a higher force at work. Even higher than Arteta. 

Southampton was an aberration. We were devoid of luck (and goals). Here though we had a little luck – as did they though for their jammy first goal. Care of Christiansen, we had our first goal since the invention of electricity. But who actually believed Eddie would score? He was calm and poised as he clinically put us one nil up. And who thinks Cigarette could have scored from that position? You’re all liars if you thought he would.  I have been consistently doubting of Eddie. I have have nightmares about his missed header at Everton. Today though he was on fire. Sure the breakdown in his link up play gave rise to one of their goals. But his pressure, persistence and pace were needed in this team. He helped Saka, ESR and Odegaard. One summer does not a swallow make. But this was a performance from him of genuine promise. Enough, for sure, to earn him a starting position against United. He will now get that run in the team that he has been craving. A chance to consistently prove us all wrong. Maybe he’ll still be gone at seasons end. So what. We need him to play like this for 6 more games. And consign Cigarette to the bench. 

Then we have to look at Xhaka. One of his best performances as well. With a solid, reliable (aka boring) Elneny alongside him we saw a more creative Xhaka. His risky nutmeg play in our box was the catalyst for that sublime second goal. The entire move was positive, direct and quick; no hesitation as possession  progressed up the pitch. But that finish by ESR. Remarkable. The poise and grace of that goal. That is instinct. You can’t learn that skill. Breathtaking stuff. Once released by Xhaka it was created by 20 year olds. Made in the cresh of arsenal. 

Odegaard was as quick and Intelligent in his movement and passing even as they tried to hack him down. He linked up with Xhaka and released the youngsters in front of him. Chelski could not get control of him.

Holding and Elneny were certainly rusty as the game started. Each giving away possession with poor passing. But then each grew into game. Elneny, did I’m mention that he was boring, so let me say he was as boring as ever but pivotal to protecting our  back three. And Holding being tough and physical with Werner and the vanishing Lukaku. Which was needed as White was a little careless again. He was caught for their second goal – which did look like a foul – as was Tavares. But Gabriel was immense today. Very little distribution but vital blocks and last ditch defending.

Which just leaves Saka and ESR. They came of age against Chelski over a year ago at home. They love playing Chelski. Here we saw them at their most fearless. ESR could have scored a couple more times. His ghosting into positions was reminiscent of the legendary Freddie. Except ESRs close control bewildered Chelski. And Saka just refused to be bullied and instead ripped Alonso apart creating havoc whenever he was on the ball. You could see he enjoyed today. Especially that penalty. How often do we get those calls? How often do we have that luck? 

With all the money they have spent Chelski fans should get used to a new reality. Any new owners will not provide blank checks based on oligarch money. They will have to compete in the real world now where the rest of us (aside from Man City) live. And hopefully this will cause the financial doping they introduced to abate somewhat assuming, that is, that Newcastle don’t replicate their approach. Anyway it was nice to see the plastic, jonny come lately Chelski fans stream out of the ground so early. They deserved this. As did we. Today, we deserved and earned this victory. It restored some faith. It swept away some of the fear we all had for the rest of the season. And, fuck me, was it unexpected!

So, am I nervous for Saturday? Hell, yes. But, whatever happens we will always have Stamford Bridge and 4-2. No-one can take away that joy. That happiness – that after the last three games – I’d feared had vanished for the season. The sheer pleasure of watching the re-emergence of our new arsenal. The enjoyment in seeing sublime goals and the outright suffering of Chelski to boot as well. We deserved this. This is what joy feels like. I have the glow back. And we have a few days to bask in the glory of a famous victory. 

-LB7

A belated report this morning from our great victory yesterday. As we now embark on yet another unnecessary and distracting break from the most important sport league on the planet into an abyss of useless international matches, let’s recap yesterday

• After Wednesday, this game was like watching a slow motion re-enactment of Wednesday. Whereas on Wednesday our players were visibly knackered after 70 minutes, here we could have played on for another 70 minutes. The pace of the game, the intensity was more akin to a practice match. Villa barely pressured our backline and were surprisingly passive throughout (except maybe for the last 10 minute scramble). I expected a much tougher game but after 5 minutes you could see the speed of the game was more akin to that of a lazy Sunday afternoon.
• We controlled the entire game and came out of the blocks nice and quick – no hangover from Wednesday. We controlled the game and retained possession in a way we could only have drams of even six months ago.
• When I saw the team sheet I heaved up my lunch (fortunately it was a lite lunch). Leno in goal? OMG. In hindsight, Ramsdale being injured explains a lot about that Liverpool first goal. But my confidence going into the game was not exactly high. I suppose I do forget that during his time he was actually a good GK for us – just not as good as Aaron. And of course I feared for our distribution from the back. But, given that Villa decided to sleep walk through the game I really did not have anything to fear. So Gerrard – Steve boy wonder – the great coach, did not realize he could disrupt our game plan by putting pressure on the one player in our team who had not played for 6 months and who everyone knows can’t play out from the back. Evidently not. Thankfully he barely had a shot to save until the 94^th minute. And it was a nice reminder of prior years to see numerous long kicks either do directly into touch or right back to their defenders or Martinez. Luckily Martinelli was not running up the wing to expect passes to him from our GK,
• So this was a game between the two most recent Arsenal GKs. Each has their strengths (I think) but neither could link up their defenses nor play with the momentum and speed of our Aaron. The incremental cost of Aaron of £5+ was money well spent.
• Why do referees not give Saka even a modicum of protection. Their entire team (slight exaggeration) took lumps out of Saka throughout the game. It was clear systematic fouling. And Madley handed out a couple of yellow cards but nothing else. And somehow Cash avoided one. Of course, Xhaka got one for barely breathing on an opponent. Likewise Partey. Villa would only get one if the player decapitated one of our players and then chopped off both legs – and then only with regret. Saka – one of the shinning lights in English football who is barely 20 years old – should warrant some protection here. He’s a star of the English team and the future for this country. But week after week left backs (and others) feel free to take lumps out of him. The poor boy had to crawl and hobble off the pitch after 70 minutes or so.
• Did I mention we were so much superior to Villa. The rhythm and understanding – the ball movement – was consistent and controlled. The distance between the two teams was surprising. I’ve not (thankfully) seen Villa play recently but they were underwhelming. On the other hand, we continued to look like a team that is finding it’s identify and has established a clear pattern of play.
• If only we had a center forward. Cigarette links up play well but clearly – aside from penalties – can’t score. In the second half on the counter-attacked he had a chance, on the counter-attack, to play the final pass out to his right but instead decided to try and shot. Against better teams that might have proved crucial. And even when he was placed by Eddie, things did not improve. On another breakaway Eddie slips over in their penalty area. It reminded me of his missed header against Everton. I don’t see how, next year, either will retain their places in this squad. Both have lost their way. With Cigarette he can at least help our play. It’s remarkable really that Cigarette has so much support given his lack of productivity. When you think back to Giroud, who really could score goals and also linked up the team quite nicely, there was frustration with him because he was as slow as a donkey. But actually, given the choice, I’d take him over Cigarette. Though I don’t miss a 6 foot 3 man lying, in agony on the ground, waving his wrist every time he fell over.
• Both Eddie and Pepe were pretty shit when they came on. Pepe found ways to lose the ball and commit unnecessary fouls right at the end of the game just when we needed to relieve the (limited) pressure. Instead he foolishly tumbles over their player to create chances that they could not create himself. It makes you wonder if he has any football IQ.
• This team now gives me a warm glow. They are entertaining to watch again and no longer possess the self-destruct button of Mustafa and Luiz (and Kolinisac and…). You forget that was less than a year ago. 2021 will have to go done as one of our best transfer windows ever. Finally, we getting close to watching a team that does not hurt itself more than the opposition. That’s not to say the last 10 minutes weren’t a little scary and fraught with worry. It was never-wracking. But Partey was in control. White and Gabriel were dominant and Cedric was not really tested (fortunately).
• ESR was brilliant today. His speed of thought and link-up play was outstanding. He roasted Cash. Cash fouled him continuously and somehow avoided a yellow card. But ESR was a shining light. He plays – like Saka – with genuine joy. And we are better with him in the team. The quality of his movement, close ball control and awareness remind me just a little of Pires. ESR is that good.

So now we have a few weeks in which our players can hopefully recover for the final push. Our squad is quite thin so we need to allow for Aaron, ESR, Saka and Martinelli to regain their strength. We are in a great position now for those last 10 games. Better than anyone could have reasonably expected. This team has grown on everyone. Even the biased commentator’s are seeing something in this team now. But ahead of us lay a number of tough games. And there is limit margin for error now. And there will be real pressure so it will be interesting to see how a young teams handles that. We also have Partey and Xhaka accumulating (unreasonable) yellow cards. We can’t function without Partey. He was the key to our midfield against Villa. Lack of quad depth could really hurt us. It’s fine balance between a small squad when you’re not in European matches and the need for more players when you are. And it’s not like we’ve finished turning over this squad. We will need at least two attackers for next season if we are to progress. But for the moment we can enjoy the success of this team and wallow in the glow of yet three more points that were well deserved and well earne.

-LB7

What a great day. What a great score-line. Added one to the family and added one more win. My number 2 added one and we, care of Gabriel, got one. Not that my number 2 can read (or write, or tie his shoe-laces) so he won’t see this emotional outburst by me. Thankfully his wife has brains. 1^st new baby and a beautiful girl.  And three hard earned points. The perfect results. The perfect day.

Though Michael Oliver did his best to ruin everything. What a ridiculous decision to send of Martinelli. He ignored two clear yellow cards at the start of the game – one for them and one for us – and then proceeded to hand them out like confetti. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen a referee do that. Within the space of 10 seconds penalize the same player for two actions resulting in a red – without any review or weighting given to the two offenses. The first one was not even a yellow let alone the second. Martinelli pushed the player over with a tame little push. It was not a hand to his face and it was not dangerous – so how is that a yellow card? Oliver seemed caught up in the emotion of the game. Normally he’s a reasonably sound referee. And, generally, he was relatively unobtrusive in his decision making. But this was insane.

Fortunately we now have a long history of knowing how to play with only 10 men. People talk about sample sizes. We surely have a statistically significant sample now to assess how few goals we concede when down to 10 men. And who could have imagined that Xhaka would not be the one sent off? It seems that whenever we play at Molineux – whoever the referee – we destined to finish the game without at least one player.

Gabriel was immense today. Scoring that goal was critical but resolute defending was the standout feature of his game today. He and White marshaled the defense perfectly. And that’s with Cedric on the field. Who, it so happens, was not entirely shit today. He gave the ball away too easily and often drops back so deep that he negates the attempts of the other three to hold a clear off-side line. Better teams will exploit that. Luckily Wolves aren’t one of those teams.

Today Jotta was at Anfield nipping a few goals. That signing by Liverpool was very valuable for us today. With him in their forward line we’d have lost. But thankfully they lacked any cutting edge. Not dissimilar to us in fact. Not that they had so many clear cut chances. Ramsdale had to make one or two important interventions and saves but he was not required to be the usual miracle worker. In fact, there were instances when he was caught in two minds as to whether to come out for crosses. So he rode his luck a little today but he’s earned it.

Partey and Xhaka provided coordinated cover in front of the defense. I can’t think of many times when they left the back four exposed. While it might have limited our creativity and attacking threat, the organization and coordination of the time was crucial. And especially once Martinelli went off.

Though Cigarette helped set up the all important goal we saw again how much we need a striker that can score. We’ve seen this now in too many games. That one on one chance he had in the last 10 minutes was the perfect opportunity for him to seal the victory. And it was frightening that he not only failed to score but also missed the target. These types of misses will jeopardize any chance we have of re-entering Europe (except by Eurostar). At this stage of his career, with his experience, he has to put these chances away. It undermines all his hard work and link up play. It makes you wonder what he’s doing all week in practice. Maybe he’s focusing on painting and decorating. Or, writing his first full length documentary. Maybe he should focus instead on target practice. Because today he just about got away with it. If we had drawn or lost this game then this would have been the central theme that would have dominated the discussion given the loss of Aubmayang and lack of a replacement. Not that it’s obvious to me who there was on the market to bring in. That does not matter – this would have been the story.

Towards the end the game devolved into attack versus defense. But now – even with Cedric – we have a real defense. What a transformation from two years ago. It’s something we’ve not had in 10 years. A coherent, dependable and organized backline. They are also figuring out how to play the ball out from defense in a more balanced manner. The times – and there were many – when we broke through their lines, opened up their midfield and defense. If only we had a real striker.

Saka was somewhat subdued again today. I would guess that he’s the most fouled player in the EPL. I can’t think of a game he’s played in where the right back has not at least been booked. He linked up well with Odergaard and did his best with Cedric. We need to get him more involved though. Our attack runs through the wings but not central. All good things for us start wide. And today we missed the forward runs from Xhaka and Partey. But it was a winning strategy.

We’ve had to wait six weeks this year to see us score a goal. And if someone would have said it came from a Brazilian, I bet few would have guessed it would be Gabriel. And it’s great to see the old 1-0 to the Arsenal. But this is one of the reasons I’ve enjoyed the last few weeks. No stress or trepidation in watching Arsenal. It’s far too tense to enjoy. It’s far to aggravating to witness these frequently poor referee decisions.

And can someone explain why there weren’t any games for the last few weeks – sure I know we were dispatched from the F. A. Cup. But what about the prior two weeks? Unless I’m completely deaf and dumb (no response needed to that), I did not see any international matches involving England or any other European country (please excuse me for considering England European). So, what was the break for? We forced all EPL teams to try and play through COVID over the Christmas period only to force them to take two weeks off (and fly to Dubai). It makes no sense. But then nothing the FA does makes sense. How is it that the most popular game on the planet earth is overseen by incompetent, corrupt fucking morons. Whether it be the FA, their counterparts at EUFA or the biggest criminals of them all at FIFA. It’s amazing that football is as successful as it is given the retards that have elected themselves to run the game while lining their pockets with multi-million dollar bribes, while simultaneously coming up with self-serving money making ideas for themselves such as a bi-annual World Cup. It’s bad enough they gave it to Qatar and then decided to move it to the middle of our season. God I hate FIFA. I think I might have said this once or twice before.

So, back to Arsenal. Todays points speak to character and determination. Not a great spectacle but a demonstration of team unity and focus. Not something we’ve been renowned for. And that’s not to underplay our overall performance. There were clear periods where we controlled the game and moved the ball with purpose and speed. The link up play with Xhaka on the left and Odergaard on the right provided balance. Which also explains why we use the wings to attack. You could also see the value of planting Partey in the middle of the pitch. He was in control and provided the necessary cover for the defense. He’s passing was sharper even if his shooting is still miserable.

Arteta will be delighted with this result. It was vital we got something from this game after our start to the calendar year. Whether it can be a springboard for us is too early to tell. It certainly sets us up well for the next few games before we have to deal with the run of difficult games against the big teams. But jumping up to fifth whilst pushing Wolves further down is a great start to this phase of the season.

As I’ve said, I don’t feel we have the depth of squad to realistically get 4^th place. Of course, if the other teams around us continue to find ways to lose home games (you know, like 2-3 ha fucking ha) then, maybe, by default we can get 4^th. But more realistically I figure 6^th to even 7^th will get us into Europe. The winners of the League Cup won’t use that slot because both teams will already be in the champions league. And let’s hope that 2 of the top 3 compete in the F. A. Cup final. Not that I’d want to be in that wanky new European competition. And, maybe I’m getting too far ahead of myself, but we have an opportunity over the next few weeks to position ourselves for the unlikely chance to get back to Europe. And now we’re shorn of so many players and left with this minimalist squad that would be yet another impressive achievement for Arteta. It’s just not clear I’ll be able to handle the street and angst along the way.

But maybe I’ll be able to hold young Mila’s hands, look into her eyes and then picture her playing for Arsenal Women in another 20 years from now. The next generation of Arsenal supporters is with us. Best thing #2 has ever done (no cheap jokes here please). What a great day.

-LB7

Wake me up someone. Please. That cured any insomnia I might have. No need for medication. Just put that game on a loop.

From minute one the outcome was predictable. Burnley doing their perfect impersonation of Bolton. And us doing an impersonation of a team that used to be called Arsenal. If you think about our performance against Liverpool in the first half and then for the entirety of the game against Man City. Got it? Great, discard that. Pretend it did not happen. Because that’s what we did today. We were as limp and boring as we were under Emery. Sideways and tedious. No pace. No energy and no urgency. OK, I exaggerate a little. It was inevitable that, yet again, out best chance would fall to Cigarette. And the outcome was as predictable as it was during the week. He brought together his vast experience and found a way to entirely miss the target.

Of course, we did not exactly test their goalie. It’s not like we peppered their goal. There was one ESR move from our corner when Pope made a great save. But not much else stands out.

It’s depressing to watch us to descend to the level of the opposition especially when we needed the 3 points. It’s games like this that in the past that always cost us come the end of the season. Last year it was Palace, Watford and Brighton.

Arteta today, as the game progressed, needed to mix things up and change the tactics. I know the bench is not exactly littered with Kante’s or Salahs but we seemed devoid of ideas. This was definitely a step backwards. The next match is away to Wolves – who are climbing the league now – and that is a game we can’t lose. We should have Xhaka and Partey back by then. They were missed today. That lack of experience and guidance in midfield was noticeable. And most of our players seemed a little raged.

We missed Tommy today though after Thursday it was not surprising. We still kept a clean sheet. But we lose something when White is out on the right. Holding’s distribution is just not the same quality. Compare the cross-diagonal balls from White to what we saw of Holdings long balls. (I say!).

And what’s up with Tierney? He has turned into sideways and backwards Tierney. When he first arrived he would tear up the left hand side. Now his first pass is as described. It sucks any momentum out of the game. There were two instances in the second half when he either passed inside or turned up field. And both times attacks were started. Something has changed with him. And not for the better.

Odegaard worked hard – and defended – but there was little happening ahead of him. Martinello again ran like a maniac and worked his socks off. But Saka was again quiet against a full back he could take to the cleaners. He needed to be more aggressive and more direct. On those instances that he was, we created opportunities.

Not that it explains the result or the performance but what was up with this referee.  I can’t believe Westwood was not sent off for that second foul in the first half on Gabriel. If that had been Xhaka or Partey they would have taken an early bath. Do people even know what that is? Do people take baths anymore. I don’t. But trust me I am held to the highest hygiene standards. I clean behind my ears and adhere to regular shows. But I digress. Do players take baths? I don’t think so. So maybe it should be an early shower. Or, an early Tik-Tok or early podcast. Anyway, as we saw with Partey on that first tackle on Thursday that he somehow managed to receive a yellow card for something that was only just a foul. But yet, here we have Westwood cracking into our player and nothing. And you wonder why Arsenal fans are paranoid. Though I’m not convinced we’d have scored even against 10 men.

But basically today was boring and joyless. A backward step. But just tedious. It sucked away any enjoyment for the game. It reminded us that this is truly a young lead lacking some experience and leadership. And unfortunately, our most experienced player is not part of the team anymore and the next most experienced can shoot straight.

So now we turn to the transfer to see if we can help supplement this team. To see if we can find a way to get into Europe next year. Fourth is going to be a level too far. We will benefit from no more cup competitions for sure. But I fear that will not be enough. A little help up front and in midfield is required. We know that the referees association will be planning out how to hand a few more random red cards leaving us short in midfield again.

It’s good to see the back of Kolasinac. That’s progress. But we also need to add. Even if that’s tough to do in the winter window.  At least by our next game – which is more than two weeks away – we’ll have a full and fit squad. Maybe that will allow us to re-discover our energy and urgency. This two steps forward and one step back is difficult to absorb. We’re just lucky that the teams around us are also wildly inconsistent. But at some point we need to put a run together. Otherwise 8^th place will beckon for us. I wish I could be more upbeat. Today was one the hardest reviews write just because of the tedium of it all. The drabness we witness seeps into everything after  a lackluster performance like that. So maybe the next few weeks will give me sufficient time to recuperate. Lets see.

-LB7

Boom. Back down to earth with a mighty thud. What did we learn today? That Partey is Xhaka’s natural understudy. And that Jota should play for us.

Atkinson is a twat is another truism. We did not learn that today. How Partey picked up his first yellow is beyond me. Not that this explains the stupidity of the second tackle. That was a yellow all day long. So now he can go back to Ghana for a week. Not his most successful two weeks of football.

I love a Cigarette as much as the next man. But, really, as good as Liverpool are, if we swapped Jota and Cigarette we could also (possibly) have swapped the scores. Imagine if Jota had that chance in the second half? Do you think it would have ended up in the stands missing the target entirely? Me thinks not.

We start full of vim and vigor and had them on the back foot initially. But after 20 minutes we lost our way a little and then they started to come back into the game. But by half-time we’d had the better of the first half. Unfortunately, the 2^nd half was the reverse.

Overall, the better team won. Of course. But we knew they were the better team beforehand. Because they are. It was noticeable though that some of our players were off the pace. Tommy kept slipping over and making little mistakes. And he faded as the game went on. He was clearly not match fit. The same was true of Odergaard. He started by actually making tackles but then also faded as the game went on. And Saka was marginalized on the right. I figure he was also impacted by the less than energetic Tommy.

The only one who ran like an Energizer battery was Martinelli. He also had a few chances. But unlike Cigarette, he’s a baby with many years ahead of him. But he ran AA raged for that first ½ hour.

Their first goal game against the run of play and was a little fortunate as that mis-hit shot wrong-footed everyone. And once we went 1-0 down you knew that was it as we barely could create chances.

This could have been our easiest route into Europe next year. Of course, it could also have just set us up for yet another League Cup final disappointment. So now our Arse-it continues. So I remain disappointed but optimistic.  Directionally we’re still pointed upwards. This team is improving. If anything it amplifies Artetas’ achievement of winning the F A Cup in his first year with a much inferior team.  

Now onto the blockheads from Burnley. And without Partey. Hopefully we won’t need that defensive cover. Today Sambi was pretty solid and dependable. And we’ll need the creative juices of Odergaard and ESR to unlock the Burnley brick wall. And we’ll need Cigarette to take his chances. You can see why we’re in the market for a striker. My preference has always been for additional midfield over – especially as we sent AMN into the jaws of Darth Vader. But, maybe, I was wrong (I know, I can’t believe I wrote that; I’m obviously emotionally distressed). Maybe if we had a Jota type figure we could win marginal games like these. The fact that ESR is our highest goal-scorer across all competitions is pretty telling.

So as I wipe away my tears I console myself that I won’t have to suffer through losing in another final and that the team will now channel their own disappointment into focusing on the League. I mean, there’s nothing else now. No more cups to distract us and wear down our squad. If we could just find a way to keep 11 players on the pitch for the entire game that would help. Though not having Atkinson ref our games would also help. I mean, really. What a wanker. In both games we had a player sent off? How is that possible? Neither game was dirty? So what are the odds of this happening? And people wonder why AFC fans are a little paranoid. We’re paranoid for a reason. I know I am. Actually, for many reasons. But that’s another story.

-LB7

Maybe I’m childish. Maybe I’m mentally challenged. Maybe I’m immature. But this one felt like a victory. Fuck the moral victory in losing 2-1 to Man City. Ignore the fiasco against Forest. And even the Battle of Anfield resistance. This is up there with 3 points at WHL. No game tomorrow. Outstanding. Better than a draw. Better than 3 points.

Just think of all the gnashing of teeth and angst amongst their fans. They loose match day revenue (for now). They lose the chance to play against our depleted team. Their chance to crush us in retaliation to our demolition of them at our place. Oh, how pissed off they must be. Tee fucking hee. Best possible outcome this. And we don’t even have to lift a finger. We don’t have to sit on the edge of our seats and bite our nails. I can relax and enjoy my Sunday. Nope, care of the FA we’ve ruined their day. We’ve ruined their weekend. It does not get much better than that.

I have not checked – and I will – but I can only hope they are all complaining about the unfairness of it all. The injustice. And I’m sure the pundits will have a field day. Well, fuck them. Where were they when we were robbed against City? Exactly. Please let them all suffer. Please let them all wind themselves up into a hysterical state that leads to their heads exploding.

To watch them all degenerate into a mass of catatonic anger is priceless. To see them fume and decry their inability to play us when the odds were clearly in their favor. How sweet is that? There is nothing like watching other people suffer. And when it’s that lot down the road it’s even better. It’s better than better. It’s fucking brilliant. I’ve always said watching them suffer is more enjoyable than watching us soar. But that’s just because I’m a petty, bitter man (child). I can’t help myself. It’s just way too much fun.

I didn’t expect this outcome. I assumed the FA – as they usually do – would deny our request. So, finally we get one form the FA and we put one over on them. Sweet. And, if I was to try and be objective – and there’s not possible reason for that – I would also argue it was borderline stupid. For the good of the game the match should have been played. But then for the good of the game the Saudi’s should not have been allowed to buy Newcastle, Man City should have been deducted 21 points for financial dropping and the WC should have been awarded to any other country than Qatar. So, again, fuck the good of the game.

Our squad is depleted. But, we knew this would happen. The ACN was not news to us. Those 4 players were destined to not be with us. We should have been prepared. And then we lose a few players to injury. That’s the nature of the game and no-one else’s fault. It’s just the nature of the beast. And then we have a few cases of COVID. Not rampant. Not like how it was against Brentford at the start of the season which should have been postponed. And then there is the red card. That red card – given the impact in the game – turns out to be a blessing in disguise. Without the red card we might not have seen this game postponed. So thank you Xhaka. You are a star.

How the FA could agree to postpone though is baffling. Prior to the pandemic, this would never have happened. But here we are with only a few COVID infections and we get the game postponed. Perfect. Not only is it exactly what we needed but it’s exactly the wrong decision for the wrong reasons. The FA have been true to themselves. Incompetent and inconsistent. And for once it’s worked in our favor.

Tomorrow would have been a fiasco. Without a midfield we would have been battered. Without ESR and, possibly, Saka, we would have not outlet. And without Pepe we’d have had no….oh, right forget that. Sure, when the match is rescheduled Son will surely be available and he’ll likely score the winning goal in retribution. But we’ll have Partey back. We’ll have Xhaka back. And we’ll have a fit ESR and Saka. And, maybe, just maybe, we’ll have another midfield player and another striker.

And now we have a clear week until Liverpool return for the second leg. Time for us to recharge after that defensive master-class. And they will still be without Mane and Salah. Could not have planned it any better. And, after that, we have Burnley minus the monstrously ugly Wood in their line-up. And no Xhaka to concede a penalty.

That all folks. Just a short one today; that’s what she said (see earlier reference to being childish please). What a great day.

-LB7

A bonus review today. Once Xhaka was sent off I assumed the worst and decided I could not face having to write a review of this game. Yet here I am. Struggling to not laugh out loud at Liverpool. One would have to conclude that our African players were less missed than theirs. I’m sure if either Salah or Mane was there we’d have seen a different outcome. Never did I think I’d be grateful for the ACN.

You can set you clock by Xhaka being sent off. I have not checked but I’m sure Viera never received this many red cards. I remember in Vieras’ first season he picked up a bunch and refs targeted him. But Viera learned and changed his game. Poor Xhaka has yet to figure this out. Look, I don’t think that was a red card. He was not looking at Jota. There was no intent there. Sure, he was the last man but I just don’t see how Oliver – a decent ref in a cesspool of awful refs – can give a straight red for this. However, it’s fair to say that red cards are attracted to Xhaka like pooh is attracted to Sp*rs. This man is fated. When we drew up his contract we should have agreed to pay him by minutes played. I’d guess he looses 10% of his playing time each year. And, of course, his timing is a disaster given that the NLD is on Sunday. Just when we were short of a viable midfield we now lose him for three games.  

Yet somehow we managed to keep a clean sheet. With 10 men at Anfield for 70 minutes we managed to keep them at bay. Remarkable. It’s a miracle. And bodes well for the long-term viability of this team. Missing Tommy, ESR and Odegaard we started with a weak team. Not that I’m complaining that we lost Cedric. That was a blessing in disguise. And surely a record for a player picking up an injury. That first goal-kick within 30 seconds gave rise to his injury. Chambers – though slow as a three-legged horse (see how he got outrun by their useless Mane fill-in) – was an upgrade. And fortunately, on Sunday Son won’t be there to run past him.

Arteta should also take credit for his change in tactics. Moving to a back 3 certainly protected us. I actually can’t remember Ramsdale having a save to make until 80 minutes. They barely managed a shot on target. We were organized, structure and coordinated. It belies the fears of our own fans that this man does not know how to change strategy intra-game.

Rightly, the real credit must go to the players. I worry that they ran themselves into the ground and that they’ll pay the price on Sunday. White was phenomenal. He organized the backline. Gabriel – aside from his mimicking of a Tavares backpass – was solid. And Tierney helped stabilize the left side. In front of them everyone worked their socks off. On another day – and in a few more years – Saka would have put that one chance away. Martinelli was relentless in his running, Cigarette tracked back continuously and Sambi was much improved from Sunday. Though he still dwells on the ball too long and plays it too tight in the wrong areas. But, he will learn. He just needs time. As do most of this team. Which is why todays performance will be so valuable. For them to believe that they can withstand this type of onslaught.  This was a performance for the future. I still expect us to lose next Thursday. But after the disappointment of Sunday and the daylight robbery against Man City and then having yet another player sent off, I thought we were destined for more misery. Instead, our attitude and application were perfect. Sure, Liverpool were pretty dire but the spirit and determination were both surprising and refreshing. Now let’s see if we can take it into the NLD.

I’ve condition myself to expect the worse; know that the refs will penalize us in ways other teams aren’t. That all the important decisions will go against us. And I’ve also prepared for our inevitable implosion by focusing on the long-term; the evolution and development of this team. And it’s there to be seen. This team has been re-created now. But it’s still not quite there. We need a deeper squad. And therefore it’s highly unlikely that this will be our year. This is the year for us to suffer and then channel that experience into next year. For this year I don’t see how we manage with such a slim squad. I fear for this Sunday. And don’t see how we grab 4^th place. While we’ve made progress we’re just not there yet. I’m not even sure we’ll qualify for the NoHoppaCup next year. I know it’s strange to be so negative after todays performance. But it’s just the reality that we’re on such thin ice. And I’m also hesitant to let my emotions believe that we could get to the final and win another cup. This cup is special. I still bear the scars from our last disastrous appearance in the final against Birmingham. I still have nightmares about how Kosclieny and Szczeny conspired to self-destruct. And I also remember losing to Chelski in Wales. Another painful experience. If we do somehow get to the final maybe I should consider sitting this out as, just maybe, I’m the jinx on this competition. Though I do think I went to the final when we beat Sheffield Wednesday.

So bonus reading is over. It’s onto the main event on Sunday. It will be interesting to see what type of team we can field. And without Xhaka, I wonder who the ref can send off? Or give a last minute penalty against us. I just hope Saka is fit. He was immense today. A one man wrecking crew. I like to think that we’ll be able to at least replicate our dogged spirit from today. And, just maybe a goal or two. I do wonder who has been planning out our squad utilization. I just don’t get how we could not forsee both the pending ACN and a Xhaka red-card. Come on, how can you not a least have prepared for one of these events? It feels like this one is on Edu. Sorry mate.

In the meantime, relax and enjoy the next couple of days because Sunday is going to be a tough ride. With a full squad I would be quietly confident. But with a depleted squad against a team that has no players at the ACN it feels like we’re heading into the abyss. Let’s just hope they are even more devoid of creativity than Liverpool. Of course, we’ll have to contend with Kane flailing around looking for cheap penalties – maybe not having Xhaka could be a blessing in that respect. But watch out for his dirty tricks. England captain my arse.

-LB7

That was shit. Eddie was shit. And this performance was shit. 2022 has given us two games. Completely different games. But we’ve lost both. Not a great start to the year. And Liverpool up next. Then the NLD. I already hear next season calling.

It’s a shame I was unavailable to review the run of matches where we finally looked like a viable, competitive, exciting team. I had other commitments. Unfortunately I was not able to solve world peace, Ukraine nor the global warming but I gave it my best shot (unlike Eddie). And, as my timing sucks, I was unfortunate enough to have time to sit through todays debacle.

All the good work demonstrated against Man City evaporated today. This was a throwback performance. A throwback to when we were insipid, lacking identify and purpose. I don’t think their goalie had a single save to make (care of Eddie). Today we carried too many players with a non-existent midfield. The fact that Holding was controlling our distribution says it all.  

Both Sambi and Tavires were disappointing. Tavires seems to be completely different from the player we saw a couple of months ago. Now he’s lost any positional sense, lost his first touch and looks lost. Did I mentioned he was lost? It was good to replace him as he was exposing our left side of defense even it was a little drastic. But when you have 5 subs it makes sense to use them.

It’s just a shame we did not replace Eddie. I don’t see how anyone can make the case that we should retain him. He will score goals in the future – just not for us. He cost us a point at Everton and today, in a similar situation, he failed to convert on the one – simple – chance he had today. It was an open header that he could not even get on target. He could not even head it. He shouldered it. How is that the quality of a premier league striker? It’s not. This is why he did not play for Leeds and why he barely plays for us. And before that he had a one on one with their defender. A Championship defender. And he could not beat him either. Eddie is a fox in the box for sure. But he is not our fox in the box. If he would have placed that header into the net the game would have completely changed. One chance and one miss. That’s what he’s there for.

Beyond the groaning disappointment with Eddie you could see the cavernous void in midfield. Without both Partey and Xhaka we had no control of the game. Patino is clearly one for the future. Just not the present. Sambi, who was at fault for their goal, was largely anonymous. He seemed to be unprepared to assert himself on the game. Maybe it’s a result of not having played for 2+ months. But he was not available to receive the ball and could not progress the ball. Hence Holding was left carrying the ball too often.

Martinelli was his usual energetic self but there was no-one for him to link up with. Eddie was isolated (by choice) and Saka was pretty quiet. Odergaard was the one we needed to see more on the ball but there was little creativity and movement around him.

I’ve always been a fan of Maitland-Niles and I understand why he wanted to leave. But how could we let him leave before this game. Ok, maybe we could not know that Xhaka would test positive. But we have always known that in January we would be short in midfield. So, why not keep him for at least another day or so? How do we think we’ll fare in our next 3 games with a midfield of Sambi and Patino? How did we not plan and anticipate this?

All the good work of the last month is about to dissipate. Let’s hope Arsenal fans have good, long memories. I’m kidding. We know the answer. They’ll be bleating and screaming to burn the entire house down. Why? because that’s what our supporters (not sure that’s the accurate description of them) will do. Please put on your big-boy pants because the next few weeks are going to be painful. We are in the early phases of transforming this club. I do not doubt that Arteta is the right manager. But this squad is too thin. When all available, our first 11, as was demonstrated against Man City, is close to where we need to be. But, once you take out a few keys players then it exposes the weakness in our squad. Today Cedric was not our worst player. That says it all. Arteta needs a few more transfer windows to fill out his squad. We should have four world-class midfield players not two. We should have 3 world-class center forwards and we have just one. We are short at right back as well. And I also worry about our left-back position. Today Tavires was awful. Ever since that Liverpool game when he undermined all the good work of the team, he’s gone backwards – and quickly. It will be interesting to see what Arteta says about that substitution.

Today we were sloppy and careless with the ball. We also lack on-field leadership. How is this possible? We looked like the rudderless team of the recent past. All our recent positive progress evaporated. I don’t really get how that happens. But what I could see what lack of ownership on the pitch. No-one shouting and cajoling. No passion. The number of times Holding sat on the ball and he had no-one ahead of him demanding the ball or making runs.

In some ways this loss could help our fixture backlog and reduce further injuries. It’s embarrassing though. Forest weren’t bad but we were spineless and devoid of any really quality. Of course, Eddie should have given us the lead (at least once). But you make your own luck and today we made none. We seemed to lack any belief. And this was a team that put in it’s best appearance only a week ago. Maybe this is what we should expect from a young, inexperienced team. And maybe we have to be thinking about next year. Except that there is a window of opportunity for us in the League and the League Cup. With Man United as truly shit as we were today there is an open window for that 4^th place. But we can’t get anywhere close to that without Partey and Xhaka. And we knew we’d be without Partey. What is our plan then? What should be our expectations? I certainly did not consider 4^th place viable at the start of the season and it was not a realistic target. But now we have the opportunity should we look to take it or should we stick to the add a few young, talented but inexperienced players to the team each transfer window. We need a Aubameyang replacement now. Sure, we knew he’d be gone for the CAN but not for the balance of the season. Take any Newcastle money and then re-invest it. I just don’t know whether Edu/Arteta is thinking that short-term. This is their project and I don’t think they will rush it just because there’s an opening for 4^th place.

So strap yourself in for more disappointment. Hopefully not as lifeless and careless as today but nonetheless performances where we are exposed because of the lack of depth in our squad. Patino was clearly physically overwhelmed today. But he was not helped by those players around him. The lack of movement hampered him. He would have benefited from Cigarette playing but I understand why we have to protect him from playing in all these games.

I shudder to think what type of team we’ll have for the NLD. In that tense atmosphere with no viable midfield we will just have to suck up the pain and embarrassment of losing to those lucky basterds. After the excellent end of December period this is our coming down to earth. We are mean reverting. It’s just a shame it happens as we have a NLD. And we knew this would happen with Partey. I don’t know why we would not have wrapped Xhaka in a bubble this week.

So, in the short-term, we are well and truly fucked. We will have to hold on to the good memories and remember we are a young team in the early stages of rebuilding. That this is what you get – inconsistency. However, even as I try to rationalize this and (maybe) understand the context that did not stop me screaming and shouting during this game. Oh so often we gave the ball away needlessly, we lost every second tackle and had no idea what we were trying to do.

Leno was not at fault for anything today. He has to be pissed. His chances to get any playing time just disappeared. Even Cedric was not the worst one on the pitch. Even if we get Xhaka back I don’t have much confidence in Sambi. Maybe I’m being too harsh. But he seemed to hide today. And maybe he just needs more minutes to adapt. But this was Forest not Liverpool. So we’ll find out pretty soon. And I fear that outcome.

So, first review of the year is not what I’d hoped for.  After Norwich, Southampton. West Ham and Sunderland, I had expected more. We have to remember we aren’t as bad as we were today nor as good as we were against Man City. But I worry about the depth of the squad. That is what has the potential to derail this season now. And I don’t know how quickly, even with the window now open, we can address it. For sure though Eddie is not part of the solution. I’m now going to go off and search again for all that optimism I had over Christmas. It has to be here somewhere.

-LB7