A pellucid day dawned in Cambridgeshire, a fabulous day for football. I normally drive to games, but due to the Holics forever dinner later, I was on the train. Clearly the train companies had caught wind of this because the dread words “replacement bus service” appeared all over the schedule and I was forced to go via Cambridge, not my first choice. However soon I was on the train and heading down into North London, thanks to Mrs Countryman who chauffeured me both ways to the station. Thank you dearest!
I had arranged to meet BtM at a pub new to me. Having lived in the Highbury/Finsbury Park/Crouch end area I thought I knew most of the boozers. However a favourite of BtM and Bathgooner is the Faltering Fullback. I was intrigued just by the name! Just north of Finsbury Park station it is a rambling back street pub, with equal elements of Arsenal and Rugby memorabilia. Superb pint of Guinness, correctly poured. BtM eventually turned up, having consumed vast quantities of Moussaka as part of his fitness plan (he burns it off by 100 laps a day in the pool and 100 of miles a week on his bike). We put the world to rights while enjoying watching Watford harass Spurs. If only Deeney had the cojones to have scored that penalty ….
A 25 minute walk in the crisp winter’s air to the ground. As I stood on the North Bank it felt very isolated around me. Where was everybody? Turns out that everyone arrived 10 minutes before kick off and there was a 15 – 20 minute wait to get into the ground. By ten past the hour the ground was full. And I do mean full. I couldn’t see a single empty seat anywhere. Our new Basque boss is clearly enthusing the locals. Although it didn’t reflect in the atmosphere which matched the team performance in the first 15; very quiet.
Sheffield United were clearly difficult to break down through the middle. Our first great chance came as Laca, who worked his little French socks off, held the ball up on the half way line, spun and put Pepe away. He ran at the defence and then crossed to Martinelli, clear on the back post, who maybe should have done better. Lovely move. Then, right on the cusp of half time, we were ahead. Again Laca involved. He played a lovely one-two with Saka on the left who supplied a delicious cross to Martinelli who had a tap in. One nil to the Arsenal.
We came storming out of the traps in the second half, with Pepe and Saka tormenting the Blades’s faltering fullbacks (heh). But Sheffield were doing well to stop our cut backs having got to the line. We couldn’t apply the coup de grace. Then, with about 20 minutes to go, came the pivotal moment of the game. Pepe again danced down the right wing and into the penalty area. He beat two men and then was clearly and deliberately tripped. Everyone howled for a penalty. Mike Dean (natch) waved it away. VAR will confirm it, we thought. No. A very short check, 10 seconds max and decision confirmed. A decision described by Shearer and Wright on MOTD as badly wrong. That would have been 2-0 up with 20 to go. Sheffield United would not have come back from that. Now in the previous drinks some esteemed colleagues have suggested that’s it’s our fault for not scoring the second. But if that clear penalty had been given, the whole mood and agenda would have changed. Remember it’s only paranoia if they’re not out to get you.
Shortly afterwards we got a free kick just outside the box. Pepe time! But no, Laca took it (why?) and launched it high into the North Bank. He was then immediately subbed for Eddie. The crowd rose to give Laca a tumultuous reception. He had put in a shift and a half. He looked touched and pleased by the cheers.
Of course you know the rest. In the 83rd minute (same as Chelsea) they scored what was, in all fairness, a really good goal. Bollocks. And that was that. Another home draw.
On the positives, I thought Laca, Saka, Pepe, Luiz, Martinelli and Torriera played really well with lots of heart, although Pepe is looking more and more like a one trick pony. Ozil was anonymous. Mustafi was strange. Really good for 95% of the game, but two awful brain fart moments that could have led to goals. Plus ça change, plus c’est la meme chose.
It felt very disappointing. We trudged back to the Faltering Fullback with mood low for a pre prandial with fellow Holics. The mood soon lifted as the Guinness went down. Then a short walk to our destination, an Italian restaurant mentioned several times by the departed landlord and a firm favourite of Bathgooner who made the reservation. Toasts were made to the Guvna and to the Senator from Santa Cruz who had generously and kindly provided the wine in absentia.
Good food, good wine, good company. Holic in recent years wrote that in recent years, he usually enjoyed the social part of the day more than the football. This was one of those days, and his legacy is new friends meeting in his memory and enjoying themselves. The greybeards present had many decades of watching the Arsenal and the stories flowed and the laughter was frequent. A life affirming meal. Hopefully there are many more to come.So to Tuesday night at the Bridge. I felt we really needed to win yesterday. Clearly that’s even more true about Tuesday. It may be that we now accept mid table in the league and play our best side in the Cups, while giving our great youngsters opportunities in the league. Certainly Ceballos, Holding, Willock and Bellerin, all on the bench yesterday, may return. The new injury to Reiss Nelson is a huge blow. We were so close to beating Chelsea a few weeks ago. It would be sweet if we could do it over at the bus-stop in Fulham.
First! Great report C100!!
So good I almost felt like I was there!
Clockwise starting bottom left in picture
TTG
Bathgooner
Countryman100
BtM
Uply
C100
Thanks for your insightful recollections
Another to add to your long list of excellent match reports. I have to admit that very few of us where I sit thought it was a penalty at normal speed but felt if it was VAR would establish it. The VAR process for once worked at express speed and got it wrong . It WAS a penalty which Laca would have converted and I think we would have gone on to win comfortably .
And just further confirmation of an excellent meal and huge thanks to Scruz for his generosity which was much appreciated . It took away the pain of two points lost.
We need to eat Chelsea twice in just over 48 hours- the Ladies first and then Luiz returning triumphantly to the Bus Stop. We can dream
Good stuff Counryman. I didn’t see the match and haven’t seen any highlights, however I can report that here in Val Thorens the snow and skiing are good and all remain sound in wind and limb.
Onward to the Bus stop.
COYG
Check back at the old site. Lovely new post from Dave’s family. Seems to open the door to our new blog.
Pellucid prose, C100.
Excellent match report CM100. Very much as I saw both the match and the meal. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Yet there were further signs of progress on the field in both individuals and team structure. Onwards to the Bus Stop.
Had the penalty incident taken place in our box and, say, Xhaka and Sokratis had been the offending defenders, Mike Dean would have punched the air and shouted “Yes!”, turned a somersault in Auba style, Blown “Happy Days are Here Again” on his whistle before brandishing his red card and pointing to the spot. Danny Murphy, commenting concurrently, would have demanded a Xhaka expulsion to Siberia at the very least.
And then, the VAR men agreed with Dean.
Fast forward a few hours and three ex-professional football players who are judged to be so expert that they’re paid collectively over £3M to comment for an hour each week on around 40 games of football all judged that Merry Men of Dean and VAR had screwed up, got the decision wrong, potentially costing Arsenal three points – and not for the first time this season. Pepe had been fouled and it was indeed a penalty. Had they been in the VAR box, Laca would have been afforded an opportunity to put a hole in the net. (Yes, I know, VAR rescued a point at Old T after a blind linesman flagged Auba offside when he was onside by three yards, but you get my drift).
The solution to the fiasco that VAR has become isn’t difficult to find. Six steps to VAR heaven are:
1. Ref blows whistle.
2. Ref requests incident replay on stadium screen, visible to all, TV included.
3. Ref and VAR aids study/replay to conclusion.
4. Their discussions and reasoning are broadcast clearly (Mike is ‘miked’)
5. The reasoning is entertaining and enables understanding.
6. Ref decides, concludes, enacts judgement.
Impossible? International rugby has been there for quite some time now. Premier League needs to act quickly or face refereeing descent into a farce Brian Rix would have been proud of.
Couldn’t agree more BtM. The PGMOL is an ass.
Enjoyable report, thanks CM100.
Great report C100, and great photo although the photographer credit is missing! Thanks also for your definitive photo caption in drink #2 effectively preventing the usual suspects from getting away with it this time. Oh, and PGMOL seems to be open to persuasion by the highest bidder.
The photographer was our charming waitress. Unfortunately none of us got her name!
Drink #3, should have said, rendering usual suspect @2 unable to disclaim his presence. 🤣
well done, c1000. pretty much what i watched hungover from the couch on dvr having overslept… real kudos from me to saka, who looks to be growing into his defensive role. as his body becomes that of a man he really could be a star in that position, with strength, skill, guile, and speed. same to lt11, who shook off that faceshot and played a canny game. i’m so glad arteta sees the light and plays him in his proper position.
btm your 6 points @9 are spot on. but as steveT always says, we shouldn’t leave it to the ref’s competence.
glad y’all enjoyed the post-match festivities. the senator will get to be there another time!
Surely not the Tesco girl?
Excellent match report.
BtM, we don’t need to look up to Rugby. VAR in football is already being implemented in an efficient, non-controversial, fair way in other leagues like Bundesliga. Much of the English league referees are blatantly biased and their apologists use incompetence as the excuse. As if that makes it “better”.
About Pepe, I think he can be and will become very effective. He has a bit of Arjan Robben style “predictability” but has enough potential to not let that be a drawback, as was the case with Robben. But there are signs he can mix intelligent positioning with that as well. The shot that ricocheted off the post against Palace was a good example.
Nice one Countryman. Lovely stuff as always.
I agree completely with BTM’s points about how VAR should work. I also haven’t yet said thanks for a puntastic preview!
Lots of good signs, but some old flaws still there. Hopefully we pay Chelsea back on Tuesday.
bt8, maybe they were hoping for that, or a page 3…
I watched Ozil closely yesterday. A game against a newly promoted team at home is exactly the type of situation in which he should be able to demonstrate all of his magical powers. It’s very clear, given that he’s been released from Emery’s freezer in the dark cupboard, behind the back-up electricity generator, in the deepest recesses of the stadium basement, that Ozil has bought-in completely to MA8’s demands for high energy pressing. Yesterday he harried at pace and sought to tackle (it’s a rare thing an Ozil tackle, and being a rare beastie, is a beautiful thing to see). He was successful yesterday and on one occasion turned a Sheffield attack into a springboard a counter from us.
However, it looked to me that all the effort Mesut expended took a considerable toll on the real reason we have him in the team. There are any number of players in the Prem who could be hired to press and tackle better than Ozil ever will. There are very few who can come close to matching the Ozilesque skills that he can produce at his best. Arteta has won the battle for physical endeavour. But in doing so, has he lost the war on lack of mid-field creativity? There were two occasions yesterday when Martinelli was primed to score. All that was required from the 18-yard line was a competent pass from Ozil into the young Brazilian’s path (the stuff from on which Mesut’s daily bread is buttered). On both occasions, our German over-hit the ball and the chances evaporated.
The prime of Ozil’s career is behind him. I’m pleased he’s seen Arteta’s belief in him and has bought in to the coaches prescription for a successful contribution to the team. Time will tell whether he has the physical capacity to chase and harry and then also produce the magical creativity that can turn the slimmest of chances into a goal. In previous lives he’s had the luxury of ‘people who did that dirty work for him’. There are no such luxuries in these difficult times at the Grove. Maybe the ask is a bigger one than he’ll be able, no matter how willing, to manage.
BtM
Re Ozil.
Where’s cynic when you need him?
😂😂😂
Ah, Countryman, I think Cynic’s perception of Ozil’s inadequacies began when he triumphed in league and cups at Real Madrid, was a World Cup winner with Germany and continued apace and without deflection on a downward vector from there.
Theo Walcott on the other hand……………………….
🙂
Dr F, I’m pleased to hear that the Bundesliga does a very fine job on VAR. As a strong proponent, i have been extremely disappointed and have become exasperated by the inadequacy of its introduction into the PL and the consternation that its arrival has caused, culminating in the ‘F**k VAR’ placards that are now commonplace.
There is a potential prize of substantially improved respect for referees (which would delight my occasional drinking companion SteveT) through advancing the tool to include audio and video availability.
Making the decision making process completely transparent in the ground and to a worldwide audience would elevate its credibility, and hence its value, considerably. It would also test the competence of the referees to the full in terms of their logic, communication, analytical and decision making capabilities. It would quickly expose incompetence and the less able would be weeded out quickly. Those refs able to withstand this additional pressure and scrutiny would gain respect for their ability and competence. In my opinion, rugby refs have managed this challenge well and have grown in stature as a consequence.
Re: Scruz @19. With a California-based multinational sponsoring their wine tab, no wonder the restaurant staff got a bit curious and started to line up to take their picture. 🍇🍇🍇🏄♀️🏄♀️🏄♀️
@24 bt8; they were lining up hoping to enjoy a share of the excellent wine Scruz sponsored. Wonderful stuff!
glad y’all enjoyed it, btm. as i told c100, it was my pleasure!
Two particularly fine posts from my Dundonian friend Btm. The VAR process described seems bleeding obvious ( to quote Basil Fawlty , the Torquay fan) but way beyond the wit of PGMOL to devise . I do struggle with the notion that Mike Dean is actually, actively biased against us. I just think he is a barely competent egotist with failing eyesight but I would never impugn his integrity .
As for Ozil Btm is spot on. I was contemplating the redesign of the team in the summer as I took a cold country walk this lunchtime and my conclusion was that we have seen the best of Mesut and we now need more in the no.10 role than he can provide . Unless ESR has a massive leap forward at Huddersfield this is a very hard problem to solve , harder even than balancing the defensive midfield and finding a competent partner for Saliba. I’m told the German boy Havertz is the dogs b*****cks but most of Europe is pursuing him and we have to hope that our scouting expertise unearths under the radar solutions for several of our problems. Without European Football next season ( which is a real possibility) we need players who would be willing to come to us and who have the upside potential to take us forward significantly. I’ve relished watching Ozil who at his best is a really special talent but his best days are behind him and that contract he has is a huge financial burden to carry . The boy Grealish might be a successor but again he will have many suitors and we are likely to be fishing in unfamiliar pools for our talent.
Well I’ve finally arrived back home at the Jurassic Coast after a very fine weekend. No I didn’t lose my way home after my specs mysteriously disappearing at the yesterday evening’s splendid dinner with the most pleasant of company. Scruz the wine was most quaffable and I know we will all wish to return the compliment upon your next visit to the HoF.
An excellent & accurate report of the match from C100. We controlled possession quite well but that final pass was often overplayed or the decision making leaving a bit to be desired.
The defensive structure was much improved, especially when looking at the 4 players chosen. The appalling shots against us figure under the auspices of UE has been alleviated, the midfield was more compact – LT11 is back to his best patrolling the across the midfield. David Luiz also appears re-invigorated, he anticipated well & continually organised his defensive partners around him.
BtM’s & TTG’s comments on Mesut Ozil are bang on. He certainly is more motivated and worked his socks off but no doubt past his prime. The were several moments of Mesut’s magic but not enough of them in dangerous positions to have a real beneficial effect.
I was disappointed with Pepe’s performance. At this time he appears to be a one trick pony, speed down the right wing, stop and cut inside on his left foot. Defenders are learning he will always cut inside and can negate this. Furthermore his decision making as when to pass, push on or try a shot seems defective. He contributes little to overall team play / defensive duties. There’s room for much improvement.
The player that got me excited was Bakary Sako – this boy is a baller. He hasn’t yet got the physical attributes but he makes up for it with a football brain. Against a much bigger & physical opponent, his speed of anticipation, interceptions & 1 touch passing was first class. He became more adventurous in the 2cnd half and became our most attacking threat down the left wing.
Gabby Martinelli is another fantastic prospect with an eye for goal. He’s still a young lad learning the game though. A few dangerous moves broke down as he was a split second too slow anticipating that final through ball / pass. A few more games at this level will surely correct this.
Finally our bete noir Mike Dean. I agree entirely with TTG, I don’t believe he is overtly biased per se but just a relatively mediocre ref with a huge ego. The system under PGMOL itself is vastly incompetent, with the way they have organised VAR as living proof of this. It appears to be run much more satisfactory in other European leagues – quelle surprise.
Although the immediate scenario is not too inspiring, our new coach is and I believe next season is where we will return to the higher echelons of the league.
bt8 @12, the photographic credit goes to Anna.
CM100 @13, I got her name. 😉
You sly old fox!
“Canny Scots” is well founded.😉
Bath is a babe magnet . Who knew? Only the female population of Somerset, Aberdeen and North London etc etc, that’s who! Roguish charm never dates , I just wish I’d had it in the first place .
Excellent post Uply. Sorry about your specs . I’m always losing hats and scarves much to my beloved’s chagrin. Yes the jury is out on Pepe and I suspect he may be too peripheral away from home and too predictable at home. But boy will he be something on a neutral ground! Your praise for Saka is spot on. This is a young lad playing out of position and outperforming most of the rest of the team comfortably.
C 100
Lovely to see a young England team triumphing overseas but that last hour!😱
No.11 at the crease , new ball taken and not one slip and barely a ball at the stumps. Coupled with the ‘eccentric ‘ ( shite) wicketkeeping of Buttler I thought we made it harder than it should have been
But we’re finding a decent batting line-up and maybe an off- spinner
TTG @33
Indeed. Was up early this morning to watch the last rites. Strange tactics, but we got there in the end. Great stuff.
Wicketkeeper is the position I am most concerned with. If Butler and/or Bairstow don’t make big runs, the case for Foulkes becomes unanswerable.
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[…] charge. This was expertly described by Countryman100 in one of this site’s early match reports (https://www.goonerholicsforever.com/?p=159). That game was dominated by the defensive resilience of the Blades. We fought out a 1-1 draw […]