Well, I’m back, a little older and a little wiser than a few days ago when I happily predicted a 4-0 win over Burnley. However, I am afraid that anyone expecting criticism of the manager, players, my fellow supporters or anyone else involved with The Arsenal just now is in the wrong place. It is not a time, to my way of thinking, to be blaming all and sundry for our current problems. It must be faced that we are having a bad time and a long old season seems likely. It’s happened before for those of you with memories of the mid 70s when we scraped by for a couple of seasons with a very ropey side. A side much worse than this one in all honesty and even then we weren’t relegated. I do not buy into the relegation battle panic, didn’t last season and don’t now. We are having a bad run so I will suck it up and continue to support the club and the manager and players who a few short months ago delivered the FA Cup to our mantelpiece. I do understand that times have changed and that the pressure for instant results is much greater now than when it took George Graham a couple of seasons to whip us into better shape in the mid 80s (probably literally in GG’s case as he wasn’t known for his warm fuzzies) but I see no reason to bend my views to a modern demand for instant success and relinquish the values I hold as a supporter to shrill cries of off with his head.
We are not Chelsea or Spu#s (though Bertie, Don and Bruce might disagree).
Having said that, of course I respect the right of my fellow supporters to exercise their Dennis given right to express their own opinions as forthrightly as they wish, whilst observing The Guvnor’s Rules in this establishment, and to those of you that think we face a relegation battle or should change our manager then I would just politely agree to differ. I certainly hope that the Arsenal board will hold steady and remember that Twitter and its noisy friends are as William Shakespeare might say full of sound and fury that signify nothing. Or in other words, it’s just noise Stan, stick with the plan. It must also I suppose be admitted that I couldn’t give a toss about the media or public opinion and it is far easier for me to simply ignore it. Anyway, that is my view and obviously I hope I am right and that we will turn things round starting with this game.
A s prep for this article I watched the game against Burnley again in the colder light of day as well as our game against Southampton back in June when we won 2-0 with goals from Eddie and Joe W. In all honesty I saw no lack of fight or spirit in either game and the performances were actually fairly similar, though Southampton were certainly not as rubbish as Burnley, and if anything we were actually more passive and less creative against Southampton. The similarity was not unexpected of course as our XI was pretty much the same faces. To sum up, we were not world-beaters when we won and we are not suddenly completely useless cowards who don’t care about the club now that we are losing. What I did see against Burnley was a lack of confidence and composure in front of goal, as we really should have scored two or three and that remains the biggest problem we are facing now, just as it was before the Burnley game. How we overcome that problem – or not – against Southampton will again basically decide the game.
The Arsenal XI
It is not the easiest task to choose an XI tonight, MA will have a far better idea than me who has the stomach for a fight when the going gets tough but there will be at least two forced changes as Hector is now suspended for his booking along obviously with Xhaka for his indiscipline. Fortunately, Elneny escaped his own indiscipline (an odd decision that only looked odder on second watching) and will I suppose, with Dani, take a place in the centre of midfield tonight, although personally I would prefer to have AMN in there just now or if he was ready Calum. I believe Luiz is still unavailable, though I would play him if he was fit, and it may be too early for Mari, Martinelli or indeed Calum. Therefore, given the limited options available, I think the XI Mikel will pick is…………….
Leno
Soares Holding Gabriel Tierney
Dani Elneny
Pepe Laca Saka
Auba
Though Willian may start again and Saka may be rested after a difficult few games where luck has not been with him. As I said earlier it is not the side I would pick as I believe it is time to find out if Eddie can step up and also I would like to see Balogun on the bench to at least give us an option if Laca/Auba and Saka are not able to end their own droughts in front of goal. I am also doubtful about the right side of the defence with Rob and Cedric but the options of Mus or AMN don’t I believe offer us any greater defensive solidity. Mostly, I am simply curious to see which way MA will go for this game. Perhaps he will surprise us and throw ESR in at the deep end.
The Opposition
We have all seen The Arsenal play Southampton several times over the last few years. They have a reasonable defence, a workmanlike midfield and Redmond, Ings, Che Adams and Feo in attack. Plus, Ward-Prowse from set-pieces. There are no surprises there and with Southampton in good form we will have to be careful not to over-commit in our desperation to score. They have beaten Sheff Utd and Brighton recently, lost to Man U and drawn with Wolves. So, seven points from twelve in their last four. Luxury. However, apart from showing them a certain degree of professional respect we also need to keep in mind they are not suddenly world-beaters either, or a far better side than us or any other such defeatist nonsense – they are average and that’s it. They also have a bad record away at The Arsenal – 4 wins in 45 trips (I know, I know, so did Burnley). If we approach the game in the same way as in June then I see no reason we cannot get the win.
The Holic Pound
If we can avoid giving the other side a man advantage or nodding the ball into our own net then I think I will go with a tense and nervy 2-1 victory tonight at 19/2. Why bookies can’t just give 10s I don’t know but perhaps this isn’t the place for that digression. I know two seems an awful lot of goals just now but I would say, in another dazzling display of statistical mastery, that we have scored against Southampton the last 8 times we have played them in the PL. Means nothing of course tonight but unless you believe we won’t score again this season then we must get one sooner or later! Perhaps, Santa will drop by a little early with a helping hand – though dressed in red, good in the air, and with a penchant for delivering presents he may find himself leading our attack if he hangs around too long. Regardless, we will see, though only on television sadly, as once again the faithful must (not unreasonably) stay away. A mixed blessing some may argue but personally I’d go in a heartbeat if I wasn’t 6,000 miles away!! The best of luck as always to us all tonight and COYGS!!!!!
Although it is unheard of to post
the first drink on my own post
I just wanted to raise a glass to
cusop @54 in the last drinks.
very well said.
It is not the easiest task to choose an XI tonight
Hopefully it will be a lot easier tomorrow 🙂
You’ll see it on tv 6000 miles away but I won’t see it in the UK because it’s an Amazon Shite pick and I refuse to watch their stuff for reasons of principle. The principle reason in this case being that after spunking out for Sky I can’t afford it.
Thanks for the preview. Thought for the day – If the team was as good as the previews, we’d be at least, oooh… mid table? (only kidding, top notch work).
Thank you Matt for a fine and balanced preview. I am a socially liberal and tolerant kind of guy, so all I will say about you watching the Burnley game again, is that having masochistic tendencies is your absolute right. We also of course welcome Feo back to the Emirates. I watched their game at the weekend, where he played 80 minutes and made a fair nuisance of himself. Like most of you I watched Theo from 16 years old. There were periods when our best Arsenal first XI had to include Theo and he scored some great goals, starting with that League Cup final goal against Chelsea. I think a full house would have welcomed Theo back with much warmth.
I look forward with hope rather than expectation.
Cheers Matt!
OM
Thankyou for your restraint and sanity . The game is as Cynic points out tomorrow but if we turn up early we will definitely find it easier to score against Southampton before they arrive. The game last season convinced me it was time for Emery to go .I hope tomorrow will convince me Arteta has to stay – it will be his Ferguson/ Robins or Kendall/ Heath moment ( for older viewers)
Feo has of course returned to play us before , for Everton, and was pretty ineffectual but our problem tomorrow will be confidence . I think Pepe will return, Auba will be retained and Willian will be dropped . In midfield it will be Ceballos and Elneny .
A 1-1 draw might be possible and though a draw last season was greeted with derision these are different times. Southampton are a very good side and I am surprised Feo can get anywhere near their team , but Ings is a monster, Ward- Prowse the best deadball specialist in the country and Hassenhutl is a very decent coach. I think I might take that draw .
And by the way as far as The Saints are concerned, I’d send the cunts marching all the way into the fucking sea.
@1 No need to be coy, Roy.
Had I held the bean I would have written almost exactly what you have in your first three paras (rather less well and with much less ‘patience’ for the twatterverse but otherwise with the same sentiments).
I can’t see all three of Dani, Elneny and Laca starting. Joe and/or AMN to feature.
Great job. When you call me you can call me Al.
TTG. For some reason I didn’t think Theo made the field for Everton at THOF. I’m sure you are right, so that shows how ineffective he was. Don’t be surprised if he scores tomorrow though.
Cynic my son is currently working for Amazon (temporary post degree job). You are stealing the bread from his mouth with your parsimony!
And before I forget, massive respect to Cusop. Got a few LWC mates and they’re always good mates regardless. Its the rest of the cunts I cant stand.
Ask him what he’s done with my Kurosawa Blu-ray boxed set ffs, I wanted that in time for Christmas.
All January’s Premier League games will be on the telly
Saturday, 2 January
West Bromwich Albion v Arsenal (20:00 GMT – BT Sport)
Thursday, 14 January
Arsenal v Crystal Palace (20:00 GMT – Sky Sports)
Monday, 18 January
Arsenal v Newcastle United (20:00 GMT – Sky Sports)
Tuesday, 26 January
Southampton v Arsenal (20:15 GMT – BT Sport)
Saturday, 30 January
Arsenal v Manchester United (17:30 GMT – Sky Sports)
If you had been on Prime you’d have got it the next day, postage free!
Good taste though.
As for the team tomorrow, it almost doesn’t matter at this point. I would be torn between playing AMN at right back and trying him in the middle with Elneny and Ceballos in the hole. If we do that though, Cedric plays. Hmm.
I’d also toy with the idea of playing Auba wide again, as he has been average cubed playing centrally and we’d probably get more out of Lacazette. Not much more, but a tad.
I lied about Kurosawa, it’s really Joe 90 but there’s no intellectual Brownie points in that one.
🤣😂🤣😂
Excellent summation in the pre post Matt
If we turn out against the Saints with the same heart/passion/commitment and never say die attitude that Wolves showed in turning over the Kings Road lot tonight, then we will be okay.
We just need to score that all important first goal, get it early to ease the nerves and the pressure, and hopefully the confidence comes flowing back.
We created plenty of chances against a very defensive Burnley, and i see no reason why we cannot do the same against a more attack minded Saints team.
Most importantly we have to have a defensive midfield shield in place to protect the central defenders from Oppo players running at them with pace which is so difficult to counter.
I would love to see AMN given a chance in our midfield, and i think this is Cedric’s chance at right back, as he is a much more tactically astute and a better defender than Hector.
He has been injured most of his time with us, and had no pre season, but is now fully fit, so will want to do well against his old club.
I hope this game is where we turn the corner, get the rub of the green, and put a smile on a few Gooners faces before Christmas.
6,000 miles away, OM? I hope you have a Chris/Oskar the dog-sized TV. Thanks for the report, we could all use a dose of your equanimity I suspect. Go on Arsenal, kick some balls in for the sake of saké.
Without getting any more red cards please.
C100
Theo started in Auba’s first game for us. I think we were 4-0 up at half-time . I think he was subbed off. It was early in his Everton career but he made no impact . Theo had great moments and was very effective in some big games but he really isn’t what we need now on the wing. I think Tierney will look after him well
The following season he started again. We won 2-0 and he was subbed off again
He didn’t play in February when we played them last season
TTG. Many thanks for either looking it up or retrieving those memories from your credible mental database. I have no wish to see Theo back again but he did give me some great memories.
We progressed in the Youth Cup tonight winning 2-1 at Rotherham . Apparently Charlie Patino hit a worldie for our first goal
C100
I looked it up but remember the first game particularly well.Theo hardly got a kick . I thought we did well to get a decent fee for him as we did for Iwobi. Might Everton buy Xhaka? 😃
Good going, again, OM. You are becoming a veritable Hleb, the pre post king.
Once a goal goes in, I think we’ll get a hat-full. I am hoping you were just a game off. Nice round 50s available on 4-0.
To augment TTG’s memory, Theo has played against us three times for Everton, without scoring or an assist, and without managing a full 90 mins.
Feb 2018, when we won 5-1. He came off after 62 mins.
Sep 2018, when we won 2-0. He came off after 72 mins.
Mar 2019, when we lost 1-0. He came on after 79 mins.
He wasn’t in the squad for the two games last season.
Hey all, been a while away for me for reasons I’ll go into later.
Suffice to say that the recent game shave not helped me with any of my own issues, sometimes you look for the things you love to make you feel better and it is just not happening at the moment, Xhaka is, was and always will be one of my most despised players, he has great passing stats I’m told but I’d love to know how many of them have been positive and led to helping us out and not putting us under pressure.
I think MA8 has been shocked as much as we have by how badly we have done lately and his nonstop defence of Xhaka is very bizarre, he has not changed in one way since he was signed, he was a liability then and it astounds me that he continually gets picked by successive managers.
I feel for Auba, his new contract had to happen as our team decided that he had to do it all by himself and nobody would set him up with those glorious chances he was knocking in for fun last season, that is until recent games by which time his confidence was completely gone and he looks a shadow of the player we are used to seeing enjoying his football.
I genuinely want to see some of our younger players being given a chance now, they cannot possibly be worse than what we have seen as the team has slowly become a group of individuals with no more confidence in each other than Auba curretly seems to have in himself.
So my absenses have been long and covid related unfortunately, Ive been off work for six months with long covid and it has damaged my heart and two weeks ago I had a minor cardiac event and had to be rushed up to Basingstoke.
The good news is that I have been contaced by my Dr today and been told that I now have a place in the long covid clinic being set up in Reading.
This has taken a while for me to type and then read and reread it but if there are spelling or grammar issues I apologise as it also affects memory and cognitive functions and it takes a shedload of effort to do something like this and have it be meaningful and not mindless drivel, although that is up to you to decide.
I know someone with long Covid. Not something I would ever wish on anyone. I wish you a successful recovery and as swift a recovery as it can possibly be. As for drivel, there’s plenty of it and most of it’s mine, so no worries on that score!
Take it easy, get strong and be well.
Good stuff, Matt but I hate that team, recognising that it’s the one you think MA8 will start rather than your own XI. It spells INERTIA. If MA8 doesn’t recognise the starting Ceballos, Elneny and Laca isn’t going to put a tiger in our tank (wave to BtM), then the man is doomed. If he adds Willian then that will seal the tomb. We need youthful vigour and fearlessness. We have the youthful vigour in the coaching staff but do we have sufficient fearlessness. Time will tell. I think TTG’s prediction of a draw is the best that that XI will get us. I hope for more.
Get well soon, depressedgooner. Very best wishes, mate.
Depressed gooner: Echoing what Cynic and Bath said. It’s tough. Stay strong. Everyone here will be rooting for you to pull through it.
hang in there, dg. your drivel is much more clearly-spoken than some peoples’ unimpaired writing (on other sites); we are fortunate to have a high standard here, and even as you are now you fit right in. be well, and put aside the worry…
also, to cusop in the previous drinks, welcome back. a drink on the bar for you, spud or not. i remember how you were when dave was proprietor, and he’d be glad of your welcome.
that’s a much more measured piece than i would have written, matt. thanks. i’m on the “use the kids” boat, regardless of how badly cynic thinks they’d be beaten. and i would bite your hand off for 2-1; for ned’s 4 @50s i’d think about biting off my own…
DG, I am very sorry the bug has bitten you so hard. Best wishes for a steady but sure recovery, and please let us know how it goes.
DG.
I hope that you recover fully as soon as possible. Thanks for your efforts in writing such a long and excellent post. It is good to hear from you even in such difficult circumstances.
As others have said, we in the bar are all with you and wishing you well!
Cheers Matt. A very good preview indeed!
I suspect that your team may be right. Although I’d love to see a bit of ESR and quite like to give Ainsley a run in midfield.
Obviously Gabigol will be coming back slowly but I believe he is available for the bench. Even if he does not make it that is still good news ahead of this busy period. He offers something different, a bit like Sanchez. He won’t orchestrate a brilliant team goal but he might shoulder past a couple of defenders and score or make an assist.
I sincerely hope Pepe gets the nod over Willian. And then takes his chance to show some responsibility for making us dangerous.
Ozil’s agent, Erkut Sogut, suggests in this Italian interview that Ozil isn’t going anywhere in January, but will remain ‘loyal to the club he loves’ to the end of his contract — and the salary that goes with it, presumably. Difficult to read between the lines of what Sogut is angling for, but one interpretation would be a climb-down by the club by reinstating Ozil to the Premier League squad in January. Can’t see it.
https://www.tuttomercatoweb.com/serie-a/esclusiva-tmw-il-clamoroso-caso-ozil-all-arsenal-l-agente-racconta-una-vergogna-ama-il-club-1470913
In other news without cheer, Big Sam reportedly succeeding the sacked Slaven Bilic at West Brom.
Elegant and succinct preview Matt! Any win will do, getting Auba to score a goal or two will make things better for the club going forward as well.
Depressed Gooner — sorry to hear about your challenges with COVID. Wishing you a full recovery soon.
Thanks for a very readable preview Matt – you were neither ultra pessimistic or unrealistically optimistic. Some of the even older members of the bar will recall that the late fifties and most of the 60s were not beacons of success either. Things were so down in the mid sixties that the supporters turned against the the incumbent manger – Billy Wright. The crowds dwindled regularly below 20000 with continual shouts of “Wright Out”. This culminated at one of the last matches in the 65/66 season. After the match a large angry crowd demonstrated outside the entrance of the marble halls demanding his dismissal and it took the police on horseback ( rather dangerously I thought ) to disperse us. It worked as he indeed was sacked a short time later and a certain Bertie Mee was the most surprising choice to replace him ( no doubt the cheapest option available).
Onto tonight’s match I guess we live in hope rather than expectation- what a sorry state of affairs we are in when it’s playing Southampton at home. Surely the tide will turn soon, the squad may not be top class but there’s enough talent there to be performing at a higher level than of late. It’s upto the manager and all the players to show true spirit. Like others I would like to see Cedric at RB and a midfield 3 of Elneny (holding) and AMN & Dani driving forward further upfield. A front 3 of Saka, Auba & Pepe hopefully will start.A nervy 2-1 to get us going again will do nicely thank you.
Finally wishing DG for his well written post – wishing you all the best for a full recovery.
Depressedgooner, I’m so sorry to hear of your troubles, I really hope that you can get sorted out, and back to fitness as soon as possible. It’s a real shame that our team picked such an inconvenient time to be shit, and of no comfort at all to you!
I could not believe my eyes when I saw that we have been priced up at odds against to play a team like Southampton at home, it’s a sobering indication of where we presently are.
Still, onwards and upwards, at least we’re not spuds fans!
many thanks for all the kind
comments
fingers crossed for you DG, I
hope you get well soon.
after all those years with AW as hid
manager at Arsenal Kieran Gibbs is certainly
meeting a few new ones now. No one
deserves Fat Sam
Nice work, Matt – cheers !
I was indeed there in the 70s along with not too many others at times.
It wasn’t much fun on the pitch and even less off it, most of the time. We were at least allowed in though – sadly back to no fans again tonight as London enters Tier 3.
Thanks, OM, for such a balanced preview. I am concerned about our goal scoring form and I hope we get at least a goal to give the team some confidence going forward. A win would be unbelievable. I don’t doubt the fight in the team but they have become very predictable and there is no creativity or spark. For the fans the joy of watching them play great football is but a memory now. I don’t know if that is to some extent due to Arteta’s way the team is instructed to play. The Jodie de verve is totally missing from our football.
DG – wish you all the best in recovering fully. The club needs die hard supporters like you to help it overcome its present ordeal.
All the best to you, depressedgooner.
This effects of this virus appear to vary from virtually nothing to life changing, as you have unfortunately discovered. Here’s hoping your life changes for the better again very soon.
Take care.
Four changes from the weekend
➡️ Maitland-Niles, Ceballos, Pepe, Nketiah
⬅️ Bellerin, Xhaka, Willian, Lacazette
Thats more like it Arteta!
Leno, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney, Maitland-Niles, Ceballos, Elneny, Saka, Pepe, Nketiah, Aubameyang
Subs: Runarsson, Cedric, Luiz, Mustafi, Willock, Willian, Lacazette
Liking the look of that team. Has Mikel been reading this blog?
Not too keen on that until I see how they line up, it looks a bit like cramming people in for the sake of it to me.
If AMN is playing right back, that’s ok. Not sure where Saka fits into this or what the positions are for Aubameyang and Nketiah. The worst thing he could be doing is playing Nketiah in the role he tried Lacazette in, so he surely cannot be trying that?
I’d be happy with Auba wide left and Nketiah up top, Pepe right and then I guess Saka would be slotted into the middle. He can’t be playing him in the hole though unless he’s gone bonkers.
I don’t get what looks like a front three from that four at all. Ah well.
Not watching, I’m on the radio and missed KO. How are we lined up?
Three at the back, AMN and Saka as wing backs. Auba, Eddie and Pepe front three
Thank you.
Clive Tyldsey and Andy Townsend on comms.
I thought they had retired. Used to be the ITV team.
“Not for me Clive”
DG my thoughts and best wishes are with you.
I hope we can give you a tonic tonight
The commentators are saying that if we lose today it would be the first time ever we would have lost five straight home games. Hope we avoid that.
hadn’t turned it on yet. che adams went down like a sack of wet sand.
good feet dani.
Theo scores. 0-1. Fuck.
we are definisigh. just as i was about to write we were offering better defensive pressure feo scores.
World class finish. Unfortunately.
I fucking told you Theo would score.
get mad, lads.
If you play three at the back don’t leave huge spaces
Not pressing, but we are playing a high line.
shambles down the left
Picked the wrong team. With that set of defenders you play 4-4-2.
why did we sign shambles, then?
Theo could have gone down there and if he did it was a pen
Arteta has made this team so slow and deliberate in the build-up
You can see every pass before it happens . No flair or spontaneity
and then when we do get moving they foul us.
There is not much game plan there either TTG, it looks bad…
Did Ceballos diori a penalty?
Dani
That’s a penalty
Did Ceballlos dive or was it a penalty?
Working hard though come on!
better, he says guardedly.
One or two players are showing some fight. We have to stay in this and play quicker
We keep giving away free kicks away in dangerous areas and Ward Prowse and Vesterguard could make us pay.
Our players never learn. Dani gets booked for taking back.
We keep giving the ball away.
Not looking good, same old slow tactics it’s really starting to get to me now…
I just don’t think Arteta knows what he’s doing, sorry.
That’s a bit rich coming from someone with no coaching experience at all, but if he thinks those players suit the system he’s playing, he’s a nut.
Cynic, mate, you aren’t even watching the game ….
42% possession so we didn’t dominate this time around! No reaction from the players…
I agree with ATG. I can’t see they’ve been sent out there with any plan whatsoever. Watching us without the ball is like watching a bunch of headless chickens. There seems so little cohesive team work.
We did seem to have a little more urgency towards the end of the first half, but then it would be a struggle to display much less.
I will be brutally honest, I don’t know how we turn this round. I’m not sure we have the players, or the tactical brains.
I can hear it and the comments on here are enough to know it’s not working.
On a second look, clear penalty. Kane would have been given it. Rashford would have been given it. Sterling would have been given it.
You’re clutching at straws C100. The most minimal of contact. If Dani had any chance of getting a pen then he completely made up the ref’s mind by throwing himself to the floor and letting out the loudest scream of the night.
If there was any doubt, he trashed it there and then.
Auba looks lethargic and we really need to stop giving the ball away.
Auba just standing there whilst others are fighting for the ball ffs
At last a goal from open play get in!!!!!!!!
Auba, finally!!!!
Gosh. Now give them a doing ffs
Saka has really tried tonight. He did so well . Good finish
Brilliant Saka, saw off three challenges, then a great flick from Eddie and a cool finish from Auba. COYG!!!
Fuck be. At last. Great finish and great work from Saka.
The quadruple is back on.
Saka took players on so it’s his effort that made this goal…
Why did Auba not run with it? What a waste
RED ffs
Gabriel sent off for a second yellow. Theo played him really well.
Oh dear, what an idiot. 🙁
Bloody hell another red. Can’t argue.
Naive
First booking was harsh but he could have let Theo go there
It’s not our season is it?
Sometimes, I’m just totally lost for words.
Just why? How does he get to that decision making process?
Luiz on for Nketiah would be my choice
We can easily make an idiots eleven from our squad.
Can we somehow hold them off.
Refs have it for us so we should be ever more careful but the opposite is true.
Arteta DOES know what he’s doing 😉
Ceballos off and Willock comes on.
Ceballos off for Willock? Arteta DOESN’T know etc etc
Although as Ceballos is on a yellow, I guess nine men is in his mind with these brainless clots.
Sometimes Cynic you seem to enjoy this just too much ….
I would have kept Ceballos an£ taken off Pepe
Saved by the bar.
All their players are in our half; if only we had a speedster.
I just don’t take it too seriously any more and can see the darkish humour in situations like how typical it would be to have a second red when you think it couldn’t get any worse. I don’t enjoy it but I’m not going to tear what’s left of my hair out over this team.
Why is Holding trying to find Saka keep the ball ffs
Southampton so unlucky. Would we have played a ball like that? Cesc like.
Agreed, TTG, Ceballos would have helped us retain the ball but probably Pepe is a goal threat in Arteta’s thinking.
20 minutes, including extra time, to hang on.
Auba looks fagged off. He should have been subbed.
Cedric on for Pepe.
Everyone take a point?
They are looking for a penalty. The blighter dived.
We are definitely taking three points, so makes sense to take one point, C100.
Blighter. Love it.
Not taking three…..
Auba should make a fucking effort and jump for the ball!
Unlucky Rob!
So unlucky, we hit the corner of the post and the bar! Such thin margins.
Rob hits the post!!!!!
Auba’s body language reminds me of Ozil in all honesty
Auba doesn’t seem to put in a little extra effort. He is a bit of a powder puff.
One point gained and we stopped the run of losses at home. Bravo.
OK that’s it. A point when no points seemed more likely.
We deserved a draw. There was spirit and some quality and the team were playing for each other and the manager . Holding superb and very unlucky
Good point in the circumstances.
Saka my man of the match but hats off to the boys for the fight they put up to get a point.
Great fight from the lads and a draw under circumstances, 7 reds now that is a worry…
5 points from 27
A red card again takes the wind out of our sails.
Hard to fault the fight for a point thereafter, however.
A little step.
A start. We need to keep going in the right direction.
What Esso said.
I’m not having the beating up of Auba. He has been run ragged and must be shattered. I think we need to cut him some slack.
3 silly red cards in 4 games. No excuses for any of them. All senior, experienced internationals. There is absolutely no excuse.
great work by saka staying on his feet and driving the ball in for our goal. love he didn’t go down under any of the challenges. kudos to eddie for the assist. will this get us going? if rob’s header at the end goes in we would have had more than we deserved…but it would have been sweet. we played for each other tonight, you could see it.
amn my motm, he was immense all game.
Auba was superb tonight, taking of goal was world class. Other than that we were pretty gash.
At least we are starting to create just a bit more chances and getting shots on target.
The close control and the determination to keep the ball shown by Joe and particularly Saka should be a lesson to the rest of the team.
I think Gabriel’s poor decision making in the second yellow came from tiredness. Earlier in the season he was making those calls perfectly about when to drop off and when to challenge …
Assist was Pepe mate
agreed, steve. auba looks wiped. he has kept us in and won us so many games, and this has been a long year. he needs rest; he won’t get it until his teammates step up and get some goals.
you sure, esso?
faustus @141 theo had him wrapped up close, he couldn’t have backpedaled if he tried.
If Auba gets any sort of decent service he will get 29 goals this season. He almost single-handedly won us the Cup.
I agree with Steve. He took his goal well . No other bugger is going to score . Pepe was as poor as Willian but defensively apart from the goal we defended decently . Holding was excellent and I liked Saka, Ceballos did ok , AMN was much better than Bellerin and Tierney gives 100% every time he plays . Leno worries me . He punches the ball like Larry Grayson . I’m so sorry we sold Emi
esso, i just rewatched eddie give the assist…
Scruz@145: Spot on re the Gabriel second yellow. If the ref had given a foul against Theo for holding Gabriel first, no one could have argued with that.
The moment Redmond hit the bar when clean through was the moment our season turned. If he had buried that chance, there would have been no coming back.
It was a little disappointing to see us set up so defensively to be honest … Ceballos rarely joined in the attack. Tierney or AMN didn’t make enough overlapping runs as they were continuously covering up the inside spaces in the midfield. I am sure the team is evolving towards something but we need more adventurous midfield and fullbacks … and we need to win our 1:1 challenges.
One bright spot was Saka getting in between their lines when we were on top early in the second half. That is what Arteta wants from his hybrid No 8/inverted wingers. It let Auba get wide on the left, often with some space, and Tierney to come up in support. It was unfortunate that that passage of play got cut short by the red card.
faustus@150, i feel like i’m watching an american football team play a prevent defense, or a basketball team playing a zone. keep it in front of you and as the space compresses make your move. not pleasant, but not entirely ineffective. “pushing for first place”-southampton could have tonked us today (agree with ned@149, though i think it was the moment it DIDN’T turn to entire shit, rather than it turned good…it was a moment that might lead to some stability towards mid-table rather than complete panic in the streets and the joy divisions streaming about our uncontrolled descent towards relegation). that they didn’t, and that we actually held on to the draw with 10 men says what we did today worked.
i agree we need to win more 1:1s, but i was impressed with a lot of our anticipation, especially amn between the red and when cedric came on and he was pushed up. he was absolutely on fire, and made three or four interceptions that were pretty to watch. dani did the same, as did mo, getting feet to passes that we might have just let go on another day.
i do believe our season could be “saved” by xhaka’s red card. and i seriously hope ma8 thinks about keeping amn at left wing back with a 3 man defense (can we still play that? does mari slot directly in for gabriel?).
The problem here is Scruz, Xhaka will be back as soon as his suspension ends.
truth, atg. but if we have a draw and two wins in the meantime, and maybe more and more goals as this different team plays together…maybe ma8 will be less hesitant not to play him, and he can join laca in the cup games.
in other news, i am asking santa for a pony.
Scruz,
Shucks, I sent you an Alpaca
I could do with a Tesla 😀
I’m asking pony for a Santi…
thanks, ttg. i can use it as an alpacanimal when i go hiking.
let’s all laugh at tottenham.
🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣
I’ll second (or thir) that. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🍺🍺🍺🍺🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Thanks guys, appreciate the kind words and obviously the team read them too and stopped the rot.
Not a vintage performance by any means but until we lost Gabriel I thought we were nailed on to win, positive signs from the second half and the first half is best forgotten.
I just wish we would start a lot faster and less of this defensive mindset as it is clearly not working.
DG@162: Hope you are doing well.
Agree completely that the Gabriel red took the wind out of our sails, just as Xhaka’s did against Burnley. It is not too much to say that between them they cost us five points.
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