Author: BBandbeyond BBandbeyond

How enjoyable was that? I can’t remember the last time I was as relaxed during the entire game. No stress. Right from the first few minutes we dominated. There was not one moment when I thought we’d lose. And once we scored the first – after missing 3 other chances – there was little doubt we’d win this one.

There was so much to enjoy about this game. The only dark cloud was the appearance of the joker Cedric. We forget that he was once part of a backline that might have David Luiz, Mustafa and Kolinsac. Sometimes we forget how far we’ve come. And his presence was a reminder of those dark days. He can’t defend. He can’t pass, he can’t tie his shoe-laces. In the few minutes he was on the pitch he backed-off as they attacked, giving them so much room to move in. Sure he might be a little rusty but class is permanent and, likewise, shit sticks. And boy, does he stink. Let’s hope Tomi recovers quickly and AMN is used as the replacement. With Cedric on, our defense was more exposed down our right. He would watch them push forward and would just continue to drop back without applying any pressure. Let’s just pray for Tomi.

OK, now that negativity is out of the way let’s review everything else because there was so much that was so positive. The angst of Aubameyang has been replaced by the performance of Martinelli. How timely is that. What could have lingered as a soap story has instead turned into the arrival of yet another youngster. After his delicious goal against West Ham and his overall contributions in attack and defense, today he took the this opportunity to demonstrate he needs to be part of the starting 11.  The first goal was that of a striker in the right place and the right time. The second goal was cool and calmly taken, again reminiscent of TH14 (without the attitude – though he’s young yet). And that pass from Xhaka! It was reminiscent of the pass he produced in the Euros for Switzerland against Italy when he set up some fat Swiss roll to score.

On the other side Saka terrorized their defense. Yes, he should have scored in the first 3 minutes. He is a gamer changer though. And we saw that against West Ham as well. He’s had a slow start to the season but finally we’re seeing the player we saw last year. Today he wandered through their defense and across the pitch. Between him and Odegaard they should have scored more. But, that third goal was an example of how dangerous he is as he drifts in from the right. Odergaard had enough time and space to dictate the game today. His passing was simple and penetrative. It’s just a shame he resists shooting to set up others. In that first half he cut right through Leeds.

Both fullbacks were barely challenged today – aside from the one foul on Tomi. Both, along with our two center-backs, easily repelled any attacks today. All had plenty of time to pick out passes. And noticeably Gabriel continued to instruct Partey where he needed to be to receive the ball. I’m still not convinced by Partey. He was better today but he was playing against pubescent teenager whos’ balls have only just dropped. He was also quite solid against West Ham. There were times – as against West Ham – when he moved the ball quickly – one touch – but too often he’s ponderous. Speak of ponderous, Xhaka was able, like Odegaard and Partey, to play through the lines today. I was amazed that he avoided a yellow card for his foul on the half way line actually, it was not even called a foul. And then Mariner booked their guy for the identical foul on Tomi. At least Mariner was not as poor as Anthony Taylor was on Wednesday. At least Taylors’ incompetence was reasonably even-handed even if he did help reduce them to 11 men. I understood the first yellow but how he could give us a penalty and then a yellow card for that tackle is beyond me.

Which leads us to Cigarette. Another game where he wasted too many opportunities in front of goal.  Against stronger teams – like West Ham – he can’t be so profligate and thankfully (penalty miss aside) he wasn’t. But still, his overall link up play suits this team. He has a smart football brain, takes up good positions, and as with the first goal against West Ham, has that creative knack that Aubameyang lacks. With Cigarette, even with his wastefulness, this team is better balanced.

Being able to bring on ESR is turning into our magic sub. He deserves to play. But he’ll have to bide his time. He is developing into a Freddie like finisher now. It’s only been a year since he’s come into the team and his development has been remarkable. The goal mid-week was beautifully taken and today, after an Ozil-like, intelligent and delicate pass from Odergaard, his positioning and finishing were everything that Cigarette should dream about.

After the debacle of Everton to win three on the spin, in some a dominant manner, is both unexpected and uplifting. I’ve never felt we could grab the 4^th spot. I still don’t. It’s a long season. But to inhabit this spot, if only temporarily, is a testament to the growth of this team. And, after doubting Arteta after that Everton result, he has again been able to learn the necessary lessons. Though I’d still like to see more of AMN and I wonder where Sambi was today. Whatever now happens this year Arteta is safe. It makes me wonder where those loud, ignorant, moronic AFC fans, who were calling for yet another change, are now. Are they vocal enough now to speak up and admit they are tossers that come from a family of wankers? (If my kids are reading this – if they’ve learned to read – to be clear, I’m not referring to our family). We have just three actual grown-ups in this team – Xhaka, Partey and Cigarette. The rest are just out of diapers. And, again, today they showed they could be the nucleus of our team for a decade. And lead us back to the promised land. Leads us back to 4^th place! I kid. But, today, I’m optimistic, happy and relaxed. It’s a strange feeling. One I’ve not had in many a year. I’ll enjoy it for the moment because this is not reality. But I’ll take it for today.

A word on Leeds – they were genuinely dreadful (ok, that’s slightly more than one word). This must have been the easiest game that Ramsdale has played for us. I can’t remember a single save on note. He was able to practice his distribution today. And enjoy the weather. But Leeds. Oh my. I don’t get how they can have such a depleted team and yet not recognize that they needed to adjust their tactics. The had not cover for their defense. And when they did break forward they over committed and exposed themselves to our continued counter-attack. They played like an average Championship team. Which, we know, they are not. But with the available players, they used their usual tactics and refused to adapt to the circumstances. So much for having a respected and admired manager. Credit to the Leeds fans though. I doubt our fans would be so tolerant to see their team loose so many games on the trot. I heard no boo-ing no moaning. Nothing. Maybe, because they’re northerners, they are just happy to be away from the coal mines; happy to have electricity; happy to have money for pints; happy to be in the EPL and they remember their despair from the last 20 years so they have learned to appreciate what they have. Just maybe, they have accepted the reality of who they are and the team they support. That’s unusual but you have to admire that. I have not even mentioned the rain, cold and general lack of any education, culture or sophistication. Lucky I’m not a snob.

And a word on the Premier League. Talking about wankers. How did they not plan for COVID? Sure last March was different. No-one had experienced that (well, not those who are under 100 years of age). But after seeing what happened last year, how can the best financed, most commercially successful league in the world be so unprepared for this wave? How can they let, one-by-one, so many games get postponed – and at the last minute – with no thought for the travelling fans. At some point, as we saw with the Super League – the fans have to rise up to protect their game. How can the EPL not enforce protocols. How can they not have a plan to react to this circumstance? How are they going to make these games up. Thankfully, AFC has been spared (though we weren’t last year) and others will moan about the fixture pile-up. How have they not put teams in bubbles to protect the players. Why have they not enforced vaccines. Unless the EPL is being run by demented adherents to DT and his cronies who believe COVID is not real (unless it infects them and then they get the best medicine and doctors available to save them), why are players allowed to opt-out? It’s not free will. It’s stupidity. It should be a requirement of employment. They are employed to play football. You don’t need a degree, nor an education. But you need to be able to play. When you’re injured you go to doctors for the medicine. When you’re sick you go to doctors, so they should all go now and get vaxed. If not, then they can’t play. And they should not be paid.

So, onto the stupid League Cup/Milk Cup/Carabo Cup/Tesco Cup/Sainsbury Cup/Pooh Cup. If we field an even younger team we’ll have to have prams on the pitch. I figure this time we’ll field the old-timers – Holding, Chambers – and even Cedric. And maybe we’ll even see our most expensive signing make an appearance. He’ll be well suited to drift in and out of a game against 1^st division opposition. It would be insane for the ACN to be played. But, given the money involved and the ineptitude of the leaders of our great game, this could be the last chance to see our great Pepe in action for a month or so. A great time to say goodbye to him.

-LB7

At least we got some points. I half expected us to find a way to lose this game after taking the lead. Third time lucky I suppose. As grateful as I am for this victory it’s hard to look past the last two losses. The sharp eyed amongst you will have noticed the absence of any postings for these last two games. I only managed the grab the first half of the Man united game but unfortunately I caught all of the Everton game. That loss ranks up there with our Man City drubbing earlier in the season. This was a game we should have won but a combination of lack of backbone, leadership and awful substitutions caused us to regress into failed versions of Arsenal that are all too familiar over the last 5+ years. It felt like a reversal of all the good work in the last 3 months. And, most painfully, it shone a light on Arteta’s tactics, strategy and leadership. All things I had finally thought we’d put to bed.

The remedy for such concentrated pain was to shut myself off from football for 5 days. Bury my head into the sand someone and ignore all the websites and other social media to avoid being subjected to the extreme voices who most likely wanted to burn down the entire Arteta edifice.

And then Southampton come to town. Thankfully. We started too passively. Gabriel committing an unnecessary foul and getting a yellow card after 3 minutes. To be followed by careless passing by Partey and Arteta. Southampton had greater intensity and pressed us into easy giveaways. We had to absorb some pressure as they controlled the ball but just could not find any cutting edge. They had various free kicks awarded by a pretty dumb and young looking referee who seemed to give them all the calls. There was little fluency to our game. The passing along the back-line was ponderous as we tried to work the ball out of the back. As was the case for most of the game Partey, though unmarked, is not in a position to receive the ball and thus limits the choices for our center-backs. Neither Martinelli or Saka were involved in the game.  

Then Ramsdale came to the rescue – again. He must have had more touches than any outfield player. After receiving the ball from Gabriel he was able to evade their forward and set up a counter-attack down our right. And for once from White to Tommy onwards it was quick, direct, one-touch passing that lead to Saka setting up Cigarette. And that took the air out of Southampton. To be followed soon by our second from Odegaard. By this stage the game was essentially done. But we took the opportunity to find some rhythm and cohesion in our passing. Xhaka was a stabilizing presence while Odegaard found space between the lines. Most of our creativity came down the right with Tommi and Saka interlinking. Annoyingly Party still tried to shoot and missed by his usual mile. It makes you wonder what he’s like in practice if this is what he does in games.

Partey has been with us 18 months now. I loved him when he first came. But now I have my doubts. Sure he’s suffered from injuries and was disrupted – like everyone – by COVID. For a player who’s so senior he make dumb-arse mistakes. And, worryingly, they tend to be the same ones. He gets caught in possession too often. He does not sense when he’s being swarmed by the opposition. Rather than get rid of the ball he’ll try and dribble out it – a very high risk strategy. His shooting is a joke. And it’s not clear that he’s a vocal leader on the pitch. He is clearly a good player but I’m not sure he’s good enough. I’m not sure he’s evolving and developing. I’m not sure his game is improving. Against wanky teams like Southampton, Norwich or Watford he might shine. Against Everton, when we needed a backbone, he was absent. Those are the games where he needs to sine, to dominate and assert himself. And we’ve yet to see that. And until he does, he will be a B+ player at best. And, as one of the older players, we need more than that from him. We’ll lose him soon to the ACN but when he comes back he better not be injured. And then he has to prove his worth. Because for this team to progress we need to have a backbone player in midfield. And if he can’t do it then we better find someone else.

When the ACN does start up I hope to see more of AMN. He must be getting bored on the bench. Hopefully we won’t just play against Sunderland. He needs minutes. And before we have Man City at home. Now he needs to play ahead of Elneny.

Ramsdale seems like the real leader in this team now. A vocal presence. An Adams-like figure. Everyone else is too quiet. In that first 20 minutes when we had no shape he was the only player directing and instructing those around him. Against a better team we would have suffered. And I fear a little for the West ham game. They will apply more pressure and restrict the available spaces for us.

So, no Aubameyang again today. It’s not clear we missed him. He’s obviously not the smartest tool in the shed. With the ACN round the corner we’ve only got him a game or two now. This stupidity combined with his inability to find the net make you wonder what his future holds. Both him and Eddie had chances to bail us out against Everton. The fact he came on after Eddie is telling. As was his miss with the last touch of the game. Let’s hope he finds his scoring touch at the ACN.  Cigarette will surely see a contract extension in his future. He provides better link up play and can score. Of course, he had a few more chances and should have done better on his breakaway. He was set up with an excellent through pass (I can’t remember who from) but he lacks pace to get away from defenders and then the confidence to shoot. There was another instance when he dribbled into the box and should have shot. He’s not perfect but at least he is involved in the game. And Eddie does not seem to be the answer. Both of these could sign -prenuptial agreements next month. So, in addition to a Partey replacement we’ll need another striker. When we do enter the market I suspect we’ll have a little extra cash from when we sell Pepe. I’m amazed he made it on the pitch today. And, for a guy who’s been warming the bench for a month or so, he displayed little appetite to convince anyone he’s in the wrong place. He did not dart around, he did not take on players and, as ever, his body language sucked. He looks like a defeated person. He reminds me of Gervinho. Pepe is not suited to the EPL. Sell him off to Italy or Spain. Get some money back and invest in another striker. Pepe has no future with us. And he knows it.

The overhang from that Everton game colours the points today. And will do for another game or so. West Ham will be a real test. And I fear for the outcome. Those casual giveaways will be punished by a well-drilled, organized and hard working team. We need to regain some semblance of believe and control of games. And put our chances away. At least they won’t sit back in two banks of 4 – they will attack us and threaten us from corners. Thankfully Arteta removed Gabriel today to protect him. His arial strength will be crucial. West Ham basically score from corners. That’s it. But with Gabriel and Ramsdale we have a chance.

Currently we look and feel like we’ll be top of the mid-table teams. Maybe landing in 7^th or 8^th. To go beyond that we need to figure out our balance in midfield .We feel too vulnerable and get overrun too easily. We’ve sorted the defense and goal-keeper. Now Tierney is back in, he needs a run of game to redevelop his rhythm. But this backline is one for this decade. Add in Saka, ESR and Odergaard and maybe Martinelli and we’re half way to a winning team. Let’s see now how Arteta sets us up for Wednesday. This one will be tough.

-LB7

A little late on this one. Like Aubameyang arriving at the far post. But yesterday, aside from the match, was a Bacon Day. And, as we all know, that takes precedence over everything apart from an Arsenal game.

Did anyone notice that subtle difference in quality between Liverpool and Newcastle? It’s hard to discern at first I know. But suffice it to say, to the trained eye, there was a subtle drop in quality. Fortunately, as a student of the game, I was able to observe it and, for you, my dear reader, I will share my expertise with you. At no cost. Because that’s the kind of person I am. So, to move, because I’m sure you’re dying to hear the explanation. In laymen’s terms it basically comes down to this. Newcastle are shit. Truly shit. Not quite Sp*rs shit. I mean, that’s an entirely different species of shit. But shit nonetheless. I remember the 7-3 game at the Emirates when it thought they were crap then. But, they’ve managed to recruit even worse players and move down yet another level. Poor Howe. He will get millions to see them relegated. Maybe someone will give Bruce some credit for marshaling this crap team such that they were not relegated under his reign. So there you have it, scientifically proven. Newcastle are shit. And that’s the real difference between them and Liverpool.

But you can only beat what’s in front of you. And, unlike the past where we would find ways to foil ourselves, yesterday we earned our three points. Not that we were terrific. We did not fire on all cylinders. We were far from perfect. But that’s ok. Obviously, there will be concern over young Saka. After a miserable start to the season – by his high standards – we’ve began to see last year’s version emerge. And, in this game, we saw the full, original version. He was the difference maker. He tore Ritchie to shreds, he was our main creative influence and the scored of the first, all important goal. This came about because he was able to float around and create from anywhere on the front line. Without his energy, creativity and scoring I’m not sure we’d have won yesterday. And now we have to worry about the magnitude of his injury. I fear he won’t be in the team versus United for Thursday. But let’s hope we don’t lose him for too many games. I’m not sure I could bear seeing Pepe return to this team.

I’m not convinced that Partey has found his fitness yet either. Fortunately against a shit team he was not pushed too far but, he just seems slightly off thee pace. His distribution is uneven and his pace is reduced. Having said that, he’s one of the few players we have that will pass through the lines and play vertically. Odergaard also attempted to but he was largely ineffective. He works hard but his first touch failed him a couple of times. It made sense though that he replaced Cigarette; this was the type of game where his creativity should have helped – It just didn’t. If I was generous, which we all know I am more than generous – manganous even – then I’d note that this was his first full game for a month or two and he had to find his rhythm.

Tavares still made the team sheet. I think we all expected to see Tierney back. I suspect we’re trying to work Tesco boy back in slowly because of all his injuries and the condensed fixture period we’re about to enter. That or it was an inspired decision by Arteta to allow Tavares to find his confidence again after last weeks disaster. Tavares was dominant down the left. And, as the game wore on he learned not to shoot on site (and miss) but to lay the ball off. His hard work in the first half should have resulted in a goal but more on that later. Overall, it was great to see him run up and down the touchline. I thought he’d run out of steam at some point but, until the end he was continuing to defend as well. The way he handled Wilson’s run behind our lines from the JoJo Shelvey pass was excellent. Considering the money he cost and his youth, he will be a real threat to Tierneys place in the team. And that’s the competition we need to see. I suspect he won’t be in the team for Thursday. He deserves a rest now.

White and Gabriel were largely unthreatened. Both were solid. And white had a much easier time distributing the ball than at Anfield. And behind them we had Ramsdale who pulled off one remarkable save. Without that save the outcome could have been much more painful. I’m not sure Leno could have gotten to that. He really has been the signing of the season for us. A game changer. Even against a shit team.

And now there’s Aubameyang. He will be having nightmares over that miss. Sure, Smith Rowe could have done better with his header. But how do you miss that. Other players maybe. But this is food and drink to Aubmeyang. He’s a natural goal scorer. Luckily it was not too costly. But, as in previous games, I hope he’s saving up his scoring exploits for the next game. Because apart from this desperate miss, he rarely contributed. Part of that, I felt, was due to Odergaard not being able to release him. Odergaard tends to take a lot of touches and slow us down ever so slightly. And for a man of pace like Aubameyang, that can make all the difference.

Sambi was solid today and arguably the more creative of our two midfield players. One pass in the first half to Saka was Brady-esque. He can still get caught on the ball outside our own area and he also faded towards the end. You could see him finding it hard to track back on their breakaways. Against a less shitty team that could have been exposed. But, again, with youth on his side, he will be a mainstay of this team later on.

Tomi had a quieter and less threatening time of it today. He really has nailed down that right back position. Maybe he was the signing of the season when it’s normalized for the amount paid.

Arteta selected the right team today. And though we were slow to start, our tactics we good and the team grew into the game. We seemed to find more energy in the second half. Obviously the change of Saka was critical. We might have feared for the reappearance of Pepe but this game needed the pace and directness of Martinelli. And man was that the right decision. Within a minute or two he scored a sumptuous goal. Henry-esque if you will. Intelligently and beautifully taken. The type of finish that we’d expect to see from Aubameyang. It makes you realize the talent we have on the bench. And that put the game away and secured the three points.

My only complaint was the replacement of Partey. Why bring on Elneny and not AMN. AMN is our future and Elneny will be gone within 6 months. Why waste minutes on Elneny and not leet AMN have the experience? AMN has barely seen any time after starting against Palace. He needs to play. He deserves to play. Whereas Elneny is a known entity. You know what you get – and don’t get from him. He’s solid, predictable and safe. Borderline boring. But this was a chance to give AMN minutes and see what he could do (again). Maybe we’re saving him for Old Trafford. But this was one that Arteta got wrong. Not the end of the world mind you. A small mistakes in the bigger scheme of things. And in the bigger scheme of things he’s getting most things right.

So we’re up to 5^th. Competing for the top 4. That’s surprising and not what I expected. I can’t believe we’ll hold this position. I still maintain we are not a top 4 team. Nor top 5. We finish in the top 10. Maybe 7^th. At best 6^th. Maybe I’m a natural pessimist with this team. But, as much as the team has evolved and developed, as much as the trajectory has improved, we’re still not there yet. We still have a few more pieces to add. We need Partey to re-discover himself. We need another midfield player. We need more creativity. More than Odergaard can provide. Unless, that is, he adapts more quickly. As good as we’ve become. And as many points as we’ve not accumulated, we’re just not quite there yet. I never thought this year would be that year. Arteta needs a little more time. But with Saka showing signs of being Artetas Sterling and White showing signs of being Arteta’s John Stone, we’re in a good place. A not so good place is Old Trafford. Let’s see if we can get there while it’s still Carrick’s team. While we never expected much from Anfield, this is a game where we should have higher expectations. Especially if we actually think we’re a top 5 team. But then you know how I feel about that.

-LB7

At least we only play at Anfield once a year. To get a result there we need to play at our best to stand any chance. And today there were too many mistakes. Youth has benefits. But not at Anfield.

As the game wore on their stranglehold tightened. The pressure builds and there is no margin of error. Unfortunately, we made too many. But bear in mind they originate with the pressure applied and not in a vacuum. It was a direct result of our inability to control the game Maybe it’s a by-product of playing two defensive mid-fielders. Neither of whom really inspired confidence today. Sambi was under pressure with few outlets. Tavares experienced that game of two halfs. In the first he was able to keep track of Salah – who, was again, impressive – but he must have drunk something at half-time. Because his distribution was devastating in the second half. We saw glimpses of this from Sambi as well. The temptation to always pass their way out of tight spaces. And, with experience, (and hindsight) there are times when it’s better to loft the ball upfield. Liverpool are quite adept as using that long ball. Unfortunately, with us that long ball seems to end up with their backline. So I can see why Tavares would like to retain the ball. But there needs to be some situational awareness. For a few weeks now there have been indications that he could apply pressure to Tesco Tierney. Today was a coming back down to earth.

But Tavares was not the only one. As mentioned, Sambi too often would overplay the ball outside of our area. We’ve seen in previous games him lose the ball leading to goals again (Man City I think). He’s still make the same mistake. And after their second goal Tavares still lost the ball a few times. One of his errant passes nearly lead directly to another goal. On the others side Tomi also had trouble with his passing – and marking. Again, a direct result of the constant pressure Liverpool applied. There really was no real release valve.

That first half though was not so bad. We had small periods where we had some control even if we could not create much. Saka and ESR were too isolated, and Cigarette was close marked by Thiago. So as we tried to play out from the back White was caught on the ball and forced to smack it long. Partey was pretty quiet; I do wonder whether he was fully fit. Overall, we would often lose the ball after just a few passes.

Ramsdale again had to perform heroics but eventually we caved in. Taking off Sambi was the right call but even AMN was careless with the ball. And by that I mean when you’re swarmed by 3 of their players you have to move the ball more quickly. You can’t dribble out of that situation.  

The team selection was right as we the substitutions. It’s the concentration levels that waned. And then the mistakes proliferated. Again, that was for a reason. If you give up that much possession then all that chasing will eventually wear you down.

Gabriel was again impressive. He alongside Ramsdale come out of this this thrashing with credit. But everyone else should be extracting valuable lessons. That second goal was crushing though. We had created few chances and so then sloppily hand them a gift just as we were weathering the storm took the air out of the team. We made had one clear chance with Aubameyang where Allison was able to save with his feet. Beyond that he was hardly troubled.

Saka had the beating of their left back today but you’d not know it because we was scared to take him on. When he runs directly at the full back he’s so much more threatening. Today – especially in the first half – he too frequently either cut inside or passed inside. He needed to be more aggressive in taking on the defender. And without Robinson there he should have been.

So what did we learn today? I’m not sure too much. It just re-enforced that we are a work in progress. I thought the score was unflattering we did not deserve this. But maybe this can help us realize that we’re not as good as the last 10 games indicate nor as poor as this result indicates. We have a world-class goalkeeper who is also fearless. Gabriel and White will be our backbone. We have too much youth in the team for now but it will allow them to grow. They will make the types of mistakes we saw today. Though I think Tavares did not seem to learn much after his first cataclysmic mistake.  I like that AMN was our first substitution even if his presence did not help stabilize our midfield.

Against mid-table or lower teams we have the chance to grab those points. But against the tippy-top teams, we are just not there yet. We get out-pressed and out hustled. Maybe our fitness levels are where they need to be. I think it’s more that we require too much time on the ball. That we need to move the ball quicker. And when we press it never felt the same way. They were able to play round our press much more easily – they seemed to operate in more space. It just felt that our play was much higher risk – hence the number of turnovers in our third of the pitch. I lost count of the number of chances they created from our giveaways or when we lost possession. In the first half we had a number of breakaways whereas in the second half, post those mistakes, and until we were already out of the game, we hardly had any.

A word on the Ox. He was swarming all over us today. Very physical and very committed. That’s one of the best and most consistent performances I’ve seen from him. High energy and high pressing. I’m not sure we had anyone with the same passion as him today – aside from Arteta himself facing up to Klopp. Though that encounter just seemed to fire up Liverpool at our expense.

I refuse to get too distraught over today even though it was a tough game to watch. We are still progressing even if it was not too evident today. And that progress can only be measured over a longer-time horizon. Today was always going to be tough. And early on we held firm. But at this level you can’t make the kind of sloppy passes that we did.

I do wonder whether the style of play we’re developing suits the players we have though. Today was a case in point. Passing it out the back under immense pressure when our two defensive midfielders – and Sambi in particular – are prone to give the ball away and our wing-backs are too isolated seems like a kamikaze strategy. Of course, when it worked it looks enterprising but it’s very high risk. And I don’t know if we have the right players for this. But then, if you don’t try this then you’ll never find out.

In the meantime, the manager merry-go-round continues. Next up will be Oli. And just before we play them. It looks like that change will happen today. Losing at Watford is pretty hilarious. And then Conte has now landed along with Howe. One will burn them out within 24 months and the other likely lead them into relegation. Let’s see which one is which.

And next up is COVID Eddie. Though we no longer have must-win games, this will at least be a chance to reestablish some momentum and correct the flaws from today. And don’t be surprised if you see at left-back Tesco Tierney

-LB7

Daylight robbery. Te He. Undeserved and much appreciated. It’s games like this that make me pine for the international break. If only the game could have been shortened to 20 minutes.

The obvious observations will all revolve around comparisons between The_Man_From_Sengal_He_Played_For_Arsenal versus Arteta. One who’s been in their role for 3 months versus 22 months. So I’m sure everyone will pile onto how Arteta is not that man. How after every bright, uplifting performance we then hit the breaks with a performance such as these. That’s a cheap, easy comparison. And this site is nothing if not cheap and easy. So here goes. Come back in a year. Then we can assess the job Arteta has done. Today he was let down by his backbone. Partey and White undid Arteta. With a little help from Tomi. Three players that are key to this team – it’s backbone – each making mistakes. But he was also let down by his selection and balance. Or lack of balance. As soon as you see Saka on the left. And also Odergaard with ESR on the right then I knew this would be an unbalanced performance.

At least it changed at half-time. But it had to. Saka is wasted on the left. And Pep is a waste. I know he set up the Aubameyang goal but aside from that he provided no protection for Tomi. He remains such a luxury. One we can’t afford to carry. Not that he was the key to the result. That was Artetas system and tactics. Another game where he would have learned what works and does not. Our_Man_From_Senegal has managed three teams (at least) over a 5 year period. He has experience in this role. Arteta does not. And again, today, it showed. Partey was too exposed. Sambi should have started. Pepe should be playing in France somewhere – anywhere. Having said that we started well. And Aubameyang’s goal was that of a quintessential striker. A natural born poacher. In fact, this was one of the most energetic performance I’ve seen from him this year. He worked hard through – it’s just a shame we lacked creativity and starved him of the ball.

And them then on it was down into the abyss. Again, this was driven by the imbalance in the team. And Palace are not too shabby. They played a decent game and worked their way back into the match. Too often we were overwhelmed in mid-field. It felt like a role reversal from the NLD when we overwhelmed that rotten lot from up the road because they only have their #5  (the ugly Danish Bacon guy)  providing defensive cover. We switched to their tactics – no wonder it did not work out.

The change at half-time was necessary but it should have been Pepe consigned to the bench though I’m sure the continuous fouling of Saka contributed. Dean was his usual inconsistent self, booking Saka after a single foul but letting McThug from Palace commit 4 foul before belatedly booking him for smashing into Saka’s leg.

It’s a shame that Sambi turned the ball over – more experience for him I suppose – to set up their goal. And White should have been tighter. And Partey paid homage to The_Man_From_Senegal by being caught on the ball – I remember that happening quite frequently in his playing days – to set up their other goal. For none of these would I blame Ramsdale. Again, his distribution and presence was re-assuring and comforting.

I am a little worried about Tierney though. He seems to have evolved into backwards and sideways Tierney. It’s as though someone has removed a few forward gears. Maybe it’s because he prefers ESR in front of him. But he’s lost his mojo. Though his cracking shot off the bar that narrowly missed Cigarette was breathtaking. Speaking of which, what a great substitution. Only with him did we become more creative. We had a focal point. Of course it helped that The_Man_From_Senegal retreated to a five man defense and ceded their pressing game. I’m convinced without that tactical blunder they would have grabbed all three points. So as people argue for a change in manager they should remember that. But again, these managers are learning on the job – some more than others.

We escaped by the skin off our teeth (not that I’m sure that’s a real saying – I don’t think teeth have any skin. But I digress). In prior seasons we’d have lost this game. Gaining a point from being 2-1 down in overtime is an achievement. But this was Palace. That tells you were we are as a team. Hopefully Villa will be a step forward after this step backwards.

We have to sort out our tactics and selection. It’s clear that the lack of Xhaka is impeding this team. Partey needs a partner. You can’t Partey by yourself. And that should be Sambi. Put Saka back on the right wing and put ESR on the left hand side. Then put some energy and urgency back into this team. We had it for ½ have in the NLD and for 20 minutes today (and maybe the last 10 as well).

We are a mid-table team with a team built at great expense. Some are young – Sambi, White – so mistakes will be made. And we will end the season as a mid-table team. Maybe 8^th or 7^th. It’s a long season. I can see us drawing or losing our next two games. We lack consistency. But I don’t see that changing too soon. So strap yourself in. Remember to thank the gods for the daylight robbery today. At least you can’t consider us an unlucky team.  And remember the relief you felt when Cigarette extinguished The_Man_from_Senegal.

-LB7

Whatever happened today I knew I would still feel the glow of last weeks outrageous performance. And I knew that we could not replicate that performance, atmosphere, or result. But then the opposition could not be that abject again (unless we had a re-match). And, I was nearly right. We certainly were not the same team as last week and nor were Brighton. We were fortunate to come away with a point. But at least we did not lose.

The team selection was about right but we just lacked the urgency and energy of last week. Too many tackles were lost, too many times we lost the second ball, too many times we had many players around the ball and they always came away with it. It was a frustrating game to watch just waiting for that moment when they nicked the points. To be fair they were pretty good and played decent football. I had always thought that if something unfortunate happened to Arteta – you know, like losing an important body part like his head – Potter would be a possible replacement. When you see what he’s done on a limited budget with some truly irritating players – i.e. Neal Maupay –  and you see their performance today, I’d still keep him in mind.

As brilliant as Odergaard was this week he was anonymous today. They gave him no room and pressed him tight. But his first touch was not there and he remained pheripirahl throughout the game. Saka seemed more like the player that turned up against Brentford. You knew it was going to be a long, tedious game after his first minute foray down their left-side which ended up with a weak shot on goal. Equally ineffectual was Aubameyang. When we ask him to play a hold up role he just can’t hold the ball up; his first touch is often too heavy. But when he is receiving through balls he’s actually dangerous. There were so few opportunities for Odergaard to thread the ball through. One ESR pass did open them up but the Aubameyang was too indecisive and the chance was lost. Of these stars from last week ESR was the more effective. He continued to work hard and his touch and skill did not desert him. At some point over the next few years he will develop into a goal scorer. That chance when he tried to put if though the goalies legs was the only real clear cut chance we had in the second half.

Tierney looked dodgy today. Too many times he lost the ball or gave it away cheaply. He seemed off the pace today barely getting forward. And his defending was uncertain and he did not look confident. On the other side Tomi had his most difficult game yet. From giving the ball away early to set up a chance to him losing headed duels and being beaten on his outside, this game was his most challenging yet. But there were a number of occasions when, even when making mistakes I just knew that if Bellerin was playing it would have been far worst. Tomi hung in there and ended up with a solid if uninspiring performance. Alongside him White also managed to give the ball away too many times. He seemed to play in a shell today. Maybe returning to his former club had him play more conservatively. Behind them Ramsdale was not as confidence inspiring as he was last week. His handling was uncertain. Dropping the ball from their cross in the first half was unlike him. But his distribution was also off. It was noticeable how often he played long today. To Ramsdales’ credit though he made a number of important saves in the second half. But our defense was anchored today by the one player who was generally excellent throughout – Gabriel. He barely put a foot wrong. His distribution was good and his positional play was excellent. He helped marshal the defense. So, as drab and workmen like as we were he managed to gain a point and keep a clean sheet. And that was due to him with a helping hand  from Ramsdale.

I have – so far – one wish for Christmas. Not that I believe in Christmas. Nor do I believe in wishing. But aside from those details. I wish someone would tell Partey not to shot. Under any circumstances. Because he is more or less incapable of hitting the target. Today was reminiscent of last season. And to cap it off, with both he and Odergaard standing over a free-kick, it’s Partey who takes the shot and manages to reach Row Z in the stands. As much as I appreciate the merits of Partey – and today, he provided the required defensive cover and aside from one wankey pass, he helped with the link up play – I worry that if and when he does eventually scores that rather than consider it as one would if you won the lottery, if will encourage him to shoot more.

Alongside him Sambi was quiet but reasonably solid. You can see what you lose by not having a left footed player like Xhaka in that position. Maybe, contrary to what our fans think, we actually missed Xhaka covering. Sambi has the potential to be superior to Xhaka but he does not read the game as well (yet). With non-functioning Tierney behind him it meant that our left hand side was less threatening than normal.

Cigarette brought better balance when he arrived. He is able to hold up play and has a deft first touch. Unfortunately we brought on Pepe and then switched Saka to the left soon after. Pepe really is a luxury player and we can’t afford to carry one. After sitting on the bench all last week and for most of this game you’d have thought he’d be energized when he came on. Rather, on defending, when the game was on the line, he was his usual lackluster self. Thankfully we had the hard working Tomi behind him not the debonair Bellerin.

We should have brought on AMN sooner to help add some steal to the team. It’s a shame we waited until Saka got hurt. AMN will get more minutes than he expected in the next 3 months. This will be his chance to establish himself. And hopefully to both push Sambi and also provider cover for him. Too many of our team are too young to allow us to compete. But all these games help them build up experience.

It’s refreshing that as dour as we could be for such long periods we came away with a point. The defense saved us today even with more than ½ of that unit being below standard. A better team – anyone in the top 4 – would have beaten us today. But fortunately they have to rely on Maupay to score their goals. Today I thought we looked like what we are – a middle table team. Which is an improvement on the start of the season when we went into the last international break dead last. Over the next few months we’ll see if we can climb up way up towards the top 8. With such a young team it will inevitably involve mishaps and awful performances brightened up when we play the lower, shittier teams – like we did last weekend.

In the meantime, it’s incremental growth and improvement. The team is still gelling. And it’s still overly dependent on Partey. When he heads off to the ANC in January we will be formally, officially and completely fucked. But until then we have another break for our better players to go off to foreign climates and see if they can acquire either COVIUD or an injury.

As we head off to fill our time with useless activities pending the resumption of play in two weeks, I would give us a C+ or B- so far this season. The last four matches gives us some hope given the introduction of our new signings and the return of Partey. There is a backbone to this team. We finally have the goalie we’ve been missing since tender, gentle Lehman. Someone has started to fill the shoes to Vieira. And we have a defensive pairing that is as close as we’ve seen to Koscielny and the BFG. In this match last year, which we lost 2-1 when we had Mustafa, Kolinsac and Guendouzi in the team. We’ve come a long way since then but unfortunately, we still have a lot further to go. So, strap yourself in and be patient. We’ve ridden out the immediate storm of trying to kick Arteta into touch. But once last weeks glow finally dissipates, the pressure will mount again.

In the meantime, I’ll be re-watching last weeks game. I can’t exactly remember who we played but I seem to remember we enjoyed a favorable outcome.

-LB7

3 is the magic number.

3 – 1. 3 fucking 1. That’s it. Review done.

Who cares about anything else.

Before the game I’d have taken a point, a draw. Anything but a loss.

Brilliant. The beautiful game played by a beautiful team in a beautiful stadium with a loud, raucous and happy crowd generating a beautiful atmosphere.

Impressive. Every single one of our players delivered. The selection was perfect. Put Saka back on the right. And play ESR + Odergaard + Saka as the springboard for Aubameyang. This was our captains best game of the season – if not the past 12 months. I’ve never seen him work harder, win more headers and provide better link up play. And his goal was delicious. From the passing of Xhaka to Tierney through to the interplay with ESR. End to end in seconds. Pure Arsenal.

As good as Partey was; as important as he is to the spine of this team, today Odergaard stood out. His intelligence on the ball; his ability to maneuver out of tight spaces – for example, in the set up to the third goal – was a joy to watch. He was everywhere today. And he continued to close them done up front and put them under pressure – along with Aubameyang.

I could go on about each of our players. Garbriel was immense. Tomi at right back was dominant. Partey even managed to get a shot on target. And his pass in the first half to Aubemyang from inside his own half was breathtaking.

What I loved today was Ramsdale. The pace and energy he brings elevated the entire team. His distribution is sharp and decisive. And that transmits intent to the rest of the team. Sure, for our third goal he put Xhaka under pressure – and could have resulted in a goal at the wrong end. And let’s not forget his save in the first half from Son and then his acrobatic air dance to tip Moura’s shot onto the bar. Brilliant. Just brilliant. This guy is the real deal. We won the game because we had energy, drive and pressed continuously. We won because Odergaard bossed the game and Partey protected the defense and provided the springboard to cut through their lines

This was a perfect performance. The first half was like a dream sequence. I could not have scripted it better. But that left the fear of the second half with the knowledge that Sp*rs could not be that poor in the second half. But I loved the way we managed that second half. We played conservative, within ourselves even as we still create chances. Sp*rs were not as poor as the first half and Kane wasted a few more chances. And they grabbed a consolation goal. Any, on another day, they could have got a penalty. But we so utterly deserved this victory. We were clearly superior. Better selection. Better tactics. Better players. Don’t get much better than that.

As poor as Arteta was against Man City with his selection and tactics, today, he got everything right. Even down to his dancing on the touchline. Good on him. Hopefully that truly relieves some pressure on him. Though now he has to demonstrate each game he can get his selection and tactics right.

That’s enough for one day from me. And I’ve not even gloated on how crap Sp*rs were in that first half. How inept their manager was with his selection and inability to adjust as we run them over. By the time he made changes at half time the game was already lost. And then, after the game, he threw his own players under the bus. Never a good sign for team unity. Soon they will be wishing that had retained DarthVader as their manager. Kane is wasted on this team. He must be praying that the January window could open now. But I’m not one to gloat. I’m too classy for that.

If you can’t enjoy days like today you’re watching the wrong sport and you’re supporting the wrong team.

#ArtetaIn

Happy days are here again. All is right with the world.

-LB7

Clean sheet and three points. And at Turf Moor. A minor miracle. Two world beating teams now that we’ve beaten. And VAR came to our rescue to overcome Anthony Taylor. All game long he was allowing them to bully us. There was one instance in the second half where Woods was shielding the ball outside the penalty area and he, Woods, basically was just gripping and pushing White. Yet no foul was given. All game long there were niggling tackles and the predictable over physical approach from Burnley and he barely called anything. Anyway, when he made his clearly worse decision, VAR was finally there to protect and serve us. I’m sure the referees union will now have to double down on ruling against us in the next game. Who’s that against. Hmm?

Ramsdale was brilliant. So clearly confident and dominant. There were a couple of corners in the second half where he out jumped and caught the ball with both hands while competing with the Burnley bullies. Leno could never have done that. In addition, aside from one mistake in the first half, his distribution was quicker and more accurate. There was one long ball – side-ways kick – to Pepe that was inch perfect. He provides confidence and certainty that is so important. Especially when you have White making simple mistakes. In the first half allowing the ball to drop to Woods after missing a header, and, in the second half, losing the ball outside of the penalty area and then, finally, setting up the penalty incident by under hitting the back pass. As good as White can be – he did dominate some of the arial duels – he is clearly prone to slips that can be costly. Fortunately, alongside him, Gabriel was excellent. With some timely interceptions and a dominating display. Though, he again, had decisions given him against him when Barnes and Woods were clearly man handling him.

On the right our new Nip was again outstanding. What a difference having a real, defensive right -back. The number of crosses from that side have been reduced. He is excellent in the air and is adjusting really quickly to this league. He made one mistake in the second half when he was caught on the ball but overall another excellent display.

Odegaard, who was playing noticeably deeper to receive the ball, was excellent. He linked up play and move us forward. And, of course, scored a gorgeous free-kick. Perfectly executed. I’d have thought Pepe would have taken that. Overall, Odergaard is showing what a perfect version of Ozil could be like.

I was pretty surprised that Sambo was on the bench and that we went with a single holding midfielder. I thought that was way to risky but it was the right decision. To be a little more aggressive and attacking. Even though it was often hard working the ball out of defense. Burnley put pressure on Gabriel and White and cut out the channels. Only as the game went on did that open up. But we controlled most of the game. While carrying a few players.

Unfortunately it was hard to know who was worse today Pepe or Saka. I fear Saka won that duel. It seem like every pass from him was under hit, misplaced and every tackle lost. This is not the Saka we saw last year. With Southgate watching he would not have been impressed. Saka needs to discover himself. Sure, he helped win the foul for the goal but too often – especially in the second half, there were opportunities to make the killer pass and he under hit it. And he gave the ball away, in defense, way to often. And positionally he was poor as well. This is not last years Saka. Something weird is going on. Maybe, he should be played on the right. Maybe he should be given a break. But we need him. And so far this season he’s not been a contributor.

And on the other side Pepe was poor again. His crosses were pathetic and his passing was often under hit as well. He had a few moments but in defense, especially towards the end, he failed to track his man back. But, he was better than Saka.

Aubemeyang was barely involved in this game – not his fault – we barely got him the ball. And, towards the end of the game when we have them on the break we did not feen him the right passes. Both Saka and Pepe blew opportunities to complete the counter-attacks.

I should be ecstatic that we went to the Burnley bruisers and came away with three points. But it was so frustrating watching Saka and Pepe today. And sitting on the edge of the seat as White looked like he would implode. Also, knowing that Partey would not last the entire game. But then AMN and Sambi did fine when they came on. Even if AMN was in danger of giving the ball away a few times.

Interestingly, I’ve not mentioned either ESR or Tierney. Our potency down our left hand side seems to have been curtailed. I also worry about Tierney cramping up. He and Partey are too critical to our chances of success. And yet they just don’t feel like they are fully fit. So, rather than relax with the three points I continue to worry. The pressure is off slightly now. But with the NLD coming up, the pressure will – and should – build again. This will be a far better test of how far we might or might not have progressed. It will also be interesting to see whether Xhaka strolls back into the team. I don’t know that we’ll be playing four at the back with one holding midfielder against that lot. Maybe we’ll play both Partey and Sambi. BTW, I wish Partey would learn to go to ground rather than signal to the bench that he wants to come off. It reminds me of Sp*rs last year when he walked to the sideline. He surely knows that if he can’t continue he should go to ground to force a substitution. Simple stuff really.

Anyway, we’ve “climbed” the table and taken some more pressure away from Arteta. But still plenty to be worked on here. We are still too vulnerable and exposed in midfield. But at least we finally have a true goalkeeper behind the defense. All hail Ramsdale. He will surely be in the England squad now. Southgate must have looked at Pope and Ramsdale and realized which one he would want in goal.  Let’s see if he can see what we can see.

-LB7

Finally. We scored. And gained some points. Hallelujah. We are no longer bottom. And more importantly there was a change at the top. Two perfect results. Even if our performance was far from it. But I’ll take those points thank you. Enough to get us out of the relegation zone. So, thank you international break. Thank you for two weeks of relative peace and tranquility. Avoiding watching Arsenal is good for your health. Now please bring on the next international break.

Arteta survives. Just. Today was an important game. To lose at home or drop points would have incurred the wrath of the fans. And feed into the media frenzy. And into my own loss of faith. Today was still too painful. Too many weaknesses. Against more polished teams we will be picked apart. And we could have been today. But thankfully we finally took one of our chances. But if that had been against us, I would have screamed off-side.

We started the game with energy and commanded the game. For 20 minutes anyway. But even their GK had no saves to make and we barely had a shot on target. Odergaard drove us forward and was our best player on the day. He presses and demands the ball – often dropping deep. Unfortunately when he presses no-one seems to understand how to follow suit. Pepe barely presses and Aubemyang is likewise static. You would have though our manager could sort that out.

It’s hard to know whether this was a turning point; whether there were signs of green shoots sprouting. We clearly have an improvement at right back. Much more controlled and with a better touch than previous incumbents. Likewise it was good to see White in the center of defense. There are still a few physical duels he should be winning – especially at the end when he allowed Poki-man to turn him in the box just before Cedric slipped to block a shot. Next week against the Burnley bullies will be interesting to see how White handles that challenge. And Gabriel next to him is an upgrade on Mari but still does not instill me with confidence. His distribution over 20 yards is so predictably shit. But he can defend – unlike Mari. Though I also worry about his tendency to lose the ball unnecessarily.

I liked the selection this week; in particular, Ramsdale in goal. Leno must know his number is up. Or not. Arteta is turning Leno into Pep’s Joe Hart. Hart was frozen out as soon as Pep had the chance. And we’re seeing that now with Leno. I’m not too upset. But there’s no way Leno can now come back in until Ramsdale makes a colossal mistake or is injured. Maybe he can play against mighty FC Wimbledon. Ramsdale is more certain in his distribution and much quicker. None of the dithering we had with Leno. Of course, he was barely tested today. And is fortunate to start against a team as toothless as Norwich. Nice as they play they are destined to yo-yo back to the Championship. Though playing them every week would be perfect.

AMN and Sambi is not the ideal midfield partnership but, again, I liked that selection. It’s important that we give Partey time to come back to fitness. We’ve rushed him in the past. So I was happy that he only played 30 minutes today. He’s too important to us. As was demonstrated as soon as he got onto the pitch. He changed the tempo. As, to be fair, did ESR. The two of them were more dynamic, direct and provided the missing quality. I just wish I could say the same thing about Pepe. For our record signing he continues to frustrate (me, anyway). For those few moments of brilliance, we have to endure peripheral performances like today. Against such a weak team he should have shone. Instead, too often his first touch was too heavy and he could barely beat his man. We should expect so much more from him. And he so rarely delivers. I doubt he’d make the starting 11 in any team in the top ½ of the table. When everyone is fit he shouldn’t make ours. He should be on the bench. I’d prefer Saka to be on the right and let ESR and MO float.

Saka is still to find his footing. Maybe our expectations are too high. But today he lost the ball in too many important areas of the field. And our vulnerability on the left where Tierney gets outmanned seems to stem from Saka not tracking back. He just does not seem to have his rhythm yet.

I liked the fact that AMN dropped back to right back. Better to see him there than Cedric. But neither AMN or Sambi created enough or moved the ball quickly enough. Both were solid. Both are young. But against stronger teams we’ll need Partey there.

There were times today when I was sure we’d not score. Even when we did we then proceeded to waste so many chances. Between MO, ESR and Pep we have numerous chances to put more distance between us. Hopefully, as they settle down we’ll find ways to score. But 1-0 against Norwich is not confidence inspiring. Overall the performance was not inspiring. Once those first 20 minutes passed we ceded too much space and control to Norwich. We lost our energy and drive. Against Norwich.

I suppose the rebuilding has to start somewhere. And we’re out of the relegation zone – for a week anyway. But we need Aubameyang to put chances away. We need to see more of those long, cross-field passes from White. We need to see less of Gabriel on the ball. And we need Partey on the pitch. And we need Saka to rediscover his rhythm. And we need ESR fully fit. He really was impressive when he came on. More so than Saka (today).

Today helps though. Three points gives a little breathing space. A little more time for Arteta to shape this group of players into a team. One that has a backbone and balance. But with Ramsdale, White, Partey, MO and Aubameyang we’re getting there. We just need Pepe to be more consistently dominant and Saka to revive himself. We are on a very long (and painful) journey. This will take a year or more. Unfortunately. I’d thought it would be sooner but, even today, you could see how easy it is to dominate against us. Both Saka and Pepe provided too little protection to our full-backs. We can’t afford to carry players. Arteta now has time to prepare for games and he has his spine in place. So now let’s see him coach this team into the shape and style we expect. Let’s see us consistently apply a pressing game with everyone on the same page.

In the meantime, we can all ponder what has been pumped into the veins of Wenger; what are they feeding him these days. As intelligent and cerebral as he is, the idea of a WC every 2 years is insane. Wrong. And destructive to the game and the players. And the idea from FIFA that it makes it better for other countries to get to play at the WC is such an asinine reason. Basically, you get to buy two lotto tickets. But you still won’t win. Because you come from a country that does not have enough good players. That won’t change by doubling the frequency. But it will cheapen the WC. It will impact the 4 yearly Euros. Which will also move to every 2 years. And then every other competition. But FIFA is only motivated by money. They, along with the NCAA, we the two most evil organizations within sport. Neither contribute anything but drain money from the sport. FIFA are just trying to re-assert their power. Over players they do not pay for and clubs that are in fear of FIFA. Look at what they’d doing by forcing players to travel into COVID countries and then plays 3 games in a week. Insane. But they don’t care as long as they get the TV money. This idea sits up there along-side the European Super League. And, watching the financial collapse of Barcelona and loss of Messi, you understand why some clubs were so vested in making that happen. Look at Juventus as their loss of Ronaldo. It’s all about the financial impact of COVID. But Barca have no pre-ordained right be at the pinnacle of European football. They’ve only been there for 30 years or so. Every club has it’s cycle (as we know only too well). Back in the 1930’s through 1960’s they were nothing. It was Cruyff that took them there initially. Anyway, back to the corrupt FIFA.   Let’s hope that the clubs find their backbone and resist this insidious idea.  It’s painful enough that the number of countries in the final has been increased to 48. Soon, like American sports, everyone will qualify. We’ll have 195 countries at the WC. Hey, maybe that’s a better idea. Then we can scrape the stupid qualifiers where someone has to play Monaco or Lichtenstein or Gibraltar. I mean, what’s the point. Let them all join in and save us to wasted two weeks of international play. Though, of course, Arsenal, more than ever, need these breaks.   Someone needs to give Wenger something else to occupy that great mind. Because this idea is flat our awful. Maybe the one good thing would be to consolidate the international matches to a limited part of the year so we don’t have to disrupt the EPL. That would be an improvement. By the time FIFA figure that out, we’d have figured out how to get back into the top 4 and compete for the league – that’s how long it will take.

So, a week to wallow in 3 points and look ahead to the bruising encounter with the Burnley bullies. Get ready for all those long balls, corners and football in the mould of Stoke and Bolton. It won’t be a place for the faint hearted. None of those weak challenges we saw today where we continued to lose those second balls. Next week will be a test – again. But one we have time to prepare for.

So, thank you Patrick. Thank you Palace. You made my day. Top of the league. My arse.

-LB7            

Abysmal. Arteta. Atkinson.

It’s not like I ever thought there would ever be any other outcome. Losing is not the issue. Losing three games, in of itself, is not entirely the issue. How abject we played. How defeated the players looked. How clueless the tactics were. How meaningless our effort was. How lacking in defensive capabilities. This are just a few of the issues. This is as embarrassed as I can remember being. But before we dissect this further let’s recognize how absolutely appalling Atkinson was. Not a single meaningful decision went our way. How is it that Chambers can be punched in the face and that second goal stands? He’d previously booked Kolinsac for a flailing arm. But here, even on review, there is no free-kick. And the sending off. He initially goes with a yellow card and then upgrades to a red. Was it a stupid tackle. Yes., Was it classic Xhaka. Yes. But that was not a straight red. Sorry. And that completely trashed the game. It turned it into a rout. Not to say we would not have ended up there anyway. So now we’ve acknowledged the complete injustice and ineptness of Atkinson, let’s delve into our own ineptness. And let’s also be clear. With Xhaka on the pitch – using the formation Arteta set up with – we could easily have lost by more. City might not have taken their foot off our throat if we had a full complement of players on the pitch.

So, where to start? How about with the selection. We know about the injuries and illnesses. But how do you start with Cedric in your team. After the Chelsea game what is there to know about him? He’s a liability who will always keep the opposition on-side. What is he doing in this squad let alone in the team. I understand that Bellerin might be injured but how can you not play AMN. I really don’t care what AMN’s preference is. This is not a play-date where the little boy does not like the friends. He’s a professional footballer who the club pays. Make him play.

How poor was Cedric? He was so poor that Kolinsac was not the worst player on our team. There was too much competition for that. How does Kolinsac start against Manchester City? The league champions and one of the best teams in Europe. This guy was out on loan for the last six months of the prior season. Finally, we’d got him out of our squad. And now? He’s starting against Manchester City? How is that possible. Under any scenario. Under any circumstances. How can this be? It’s not like we don’t have other choices. We just bought one from Benfica. And he’s played pretty ok. He played in pre-season whereas Kolinsac barely did. What’s the point of pre-season. Tavares should have been starting. Instead of either Cedric or Kolinsac. That is on Arteta.

And how poor was Chambers? We have 5 minutes of possession and pressing and then in their first attack Chambers is out jumped by their 5 foot 9 midfielder? How is that possible? He was ripped apart against mighty Brentford, we drop him against Chelski and then decide, against one of the other best teams in Europe, we will bring him back to help us against City. Then for the second goal he flops after being clearly hit in the face. How this is not a foul – especially after review – is beyond me. But, last time I checked Chambers was a tough center half. How do you flop there and not man up and stick with your defender? Of course, in front of goal you have Cedric sticking out a floppy foot rather than blocking the ball. What the fuck is he doing on this team? On this squad, in this club? He was not good enough for Southampton but he can start for us? This beggars belief. This is on Arteta.

Mari, who was awful against Chelski sits on the bench. But we start with Cedric, Kolinsac and Chambers. And leave Sambi on the bench. That is on Arteta.

Then we line up with three attacking midfield players – Saka, ESR and Odergaard – with one holding mid-fielfer – Xhaka! Who thought that was going to work out well for us? Smabi sits on the bench where as Xhaka starts as our holding midfielder. We were completely overrun – even with 11 men on the pitch – as they found spaces behind these three and in front of Xhaka. At least we reverted to a back three. Unfortunately, he picked Chambers and had Kolinsac and Cedric as wing-backs.

Throughout the entire game City played crosses and chips behind our back-line where their midfielders swarmed through. There was no in-game adjustment for this. This is on Arteta.

This was a completely embarrassing performance. A shambles. A relegation like performance. Both by Arsenal, Arteta and Atkinson. Let’s not forget how much influence Atkinson had on this game. A game we were always going to lose anyway. But at least we would not have had the excuse of a referee tilting the balance of the game and giving Arteta the chance to hide behind that.

When Xhaka walks off the pitch Arteta taps him on the bum. What? He should be furious for an unnecessary foolish reckless tackle. Xhaka is experienced enough to know who the referee is. Initially Atkinson goes for a yellow then changes it to a red? Why? Did someone say something in his ear? I don’t understand why he need to send him off. Sure, he could justify it but it was not compelling; it was not an outrageous foul. Xhaka did win the ball. But then Atkinson was like this all game long. Whenever if doubt the balance of the decision went in Man City’s favour.

Xhaka, why give Atkinson the chance to send you off by jumping in, two-footed, off the ground? And who put Xhaka in the position to play like that? Who holds him accountable? Who, on seeing one of your most experienced players, one of your leaders, get sent off walks over and sympathetically taps him on the bum. Arteta. What?

They we wait till half-time to make and adjustments. Enough time for them to score yet another goal. And another time that Chambers gets beaten. Another occasion where Cedric is no-where to be found.

Games like this destroy Saka. And ESR. They are too young to process this. They were set up to fail. And, again, we see another poor Saka performance. No-one can get him the ball. He’s isolated. And split from ESR. ESR was overwhelmed. He had no support. Tierney was not involved. And whenever we had the ball they swarmed all over us. Odergaard looked reasonable. He worked and had some decent moments. Odergaard should check whether there is a return policy to Real Madrid. Maybe he can get his agent to undo this transfer. He must be thinking he’d be better off with Ancelotti rather than Arteta. Who wouldn’t?

In many ways we were so lucky. This scoreline could have been so much worse. Maybe it would have been better for us – long-term – if we had been smoked 8-0 with 11 players on the pitch. Then there would be no hiding as to how wrong – again – Arteta got it.

I don’t understand. As I’ve said before. When he first arrived he tightened up the defense. Knew how to set us up to play the top 4 teams and had a clear strategy. And played AMN. Now he looks like he’s completed lost the plot.

We do not look like a team. We have no clear style. And we have no heart. We are too weak; always being pushed off the ball and losing any 50:50 if not 60:40 challenge. This is on Arteta.

For any other club, you could be sure that Cedric and Chambers would never play in the EPL again. But Arsenal? They’ll be back against Norwich and Burnley. That is on Arteta.

This performance – by Arteta – makes me despair. After today I don’t know I can defend him any more. Too many poor selection decisions. Complete inability to change his in-game tactics. I considered taking 24 hours to write this review but then realized I needed to exercise the demons and find a way to enjoy the weekend. At least we got this fiasco out of the way quickly.

BTW, why is it that Arsenal FC seems to be the only team that has played that get infected with COVID. Last year we were the first club in England to be afflicted – starting with Arteta; there’s a signal if there ever was one – and now we have experienced more infections than any other club? How is that possible?

They won’t sack Arteta. As I’ve said many a time, the owners are tone deaf. But, for the first time, for me, I would not complain. I fear he’s lost the plot. There is no excuse for his team selection and his tactics. This is not the Arteta that we originally saw. But it’s the one we have no. And this one is not working. This team was beaten inside 20 minutes. Just like last week. So, officially, my faith has gone. Sorry Mikel. This was too painful. Too much of a shambles. Too embarrassing. I know it’s only three games in but we are a valid, legitimate, odds-on relegation candidate now. How Norwich must be looking forward to coming to the Emirates. Perfect time for them to get some points. And then we have Burnley waiting in the wings. They have to be licking their chops. They know – with Woods etc all – they can push us around and tear up this defense. Dyce is surely praying to the football thugs that we play the two Cunts – Cedric and Chambers – so that they can bully us off each and every challenge. It’s all so predictable.

How depressed am I with the situation. I’m so depressed that I’m finally embracing the two week International break. FIFA need to step up and extend this break from 2 weeks to about 6 months. Maybe COVID can infect enough players – as they are forced to journey into the swamps and wastelands in search of various infections all in the names of FIFA greed – so that the season gets cancelled.

This is so exhausting. So deflating. This is not like when we lost 8-2 at United. Then we at least had a proven manager. Ironically it was immediately after that game that we signed Arteta (and Mertasacker). It’s not clear what signings we can make to fix this. It’s not the players at this point. It’s the manager. And the misery does not stop here. Even if todays game was not dispiriting enough we’ll now have to listen to the media crushing us over the next two weeks. There is no hiding for us. But, rest assured, the owners will be hiding.

Maybe West Brom U-17s might be available for a re-match. Bring on AFC Wimbledon!

-LB7