{"id":10922,"date":"2025-03-11T18:00:48","date_gmt":"2025-03-11T18:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=10922"},"modified":"2025-03-13T00:22:29","modified_gmt":"2025-03-13T00:22:29","slug":"arsenal-to-dismantle-dutch-defence-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=10922","title":{"rendered":"Arsenal To Dismantle Dutch Defence Again?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Preview writing for me has often meant starting several days before the match to ensure that an ever changing workload does not prevent its completion. On this occasion, in hospital after my knee replacement earlier in the day (last Wednesday), I found myself buoyed by the fact that the operation had finally been done, and a brilliant Champions League performance the evening before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s start that preview, I thought, further kept awake on the orthopaedic ward overnight by a cacophony of sound – incorporating all manner of human and animal noises – from some manifestation of the Philbarnmonic Limpphony Orchestra. Seriously, it\u2019s not hard to understand why so many hoped for, long relationships hit the rocks when the beautiful, athletic, honed visions of young Tarzans and Janes morph into the snoring, snorting, farting, human versions of the animals they once chased through trees and undergrowth, and are joined by a selection of the more mundane farm creatures with which we are more familiar. The noises of middle aged slumber are truly horrific. I can only hope that the after effects of ketamine erase them entirely from my mind – but was I even given any? Oh well, it seems to be working!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eight days after trouncing PSV Eindhoven – who are hereinafter to be referred to as PSV Sevendhoven – we take them on again in the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16, this time at the Emirates. By virtue of our league phase final position, we will play the second legs of this and all future rounds at home, an advantage which in this case should prove entirely unnecessary in view of the six goal lead we already have.
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Hopefully, Wednesday evening\u2019s encounter will be more a re-run of the 4-0 hammering we gave them at the Emirates in the 2023\/24 Champions League tie, than the 1-1 draw I still remember from 2007 in the same competition. That was one of, if not the most frustrating football nights of my life. We were undone on that occasion by two Brazilians – Alex, who went on to play for Chelsea, and Heurelho Gomes, the 6\u20193\u201d giant goalkeeper who went on to play for Tottenham and Watford.
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Following a 0-1 reverse in Holland, Alex put through his own goal on 58 minutes at the Emirates to level the tie. Gomes then transformed into a human wall and made a series of incredible blocks to stop us going ahead. In truth, it was one of those nights when the ball just was not going to go in however many hours we played for. In retrospect it was all the more frustrating when this unbelievable shot stopper joined Tottenham and turned into a bit of a clown. Still, he\u2019s not the only one that\u2019s ever happened to. The final nail in the coffin of that Champions League campaign was then applied by Alex himself when he scored for his own team on 83 minutes. Over and out. You might have realised I still bear the scars and unease is my instant reaction to any tie against PSV.
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A six goal lead really should see us comfortably through this time round. The question is – will Mikel Arteta take the opportunity to rest some first teamers and blood one or two of the academy players who have been appearing recently on our bench. My guess is no, he will not – certainly not from the start anyway. There are some more established reserves who could well get a start though. There seems to be little choice but to start a tired looking \u00d8degaard again, and while I would prefer to see Kabia given a chance on the right wing, I fear Arteta will opt for the more experienced but absolutely useless Sterling. Ethan Nwaneri looked tired at the weekend too so here\u2019s an eleven to provoke a bit of discussion:
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Raya; <\/p>\n\n\n\n

White, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00d8degaard, Jorginho, Lewis-Skelly; <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kabia, Merino, Martinelli;
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Subs: Neto, Timber, Kiwior, Zinchenko, Tierney, Rice, Partey, Nwaneri, Trossard.
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That should leave plenty of options from the bench if things are not going to plan.
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PSV ended their three match losing run in the Eredivisie at the weekend with a 2-1 win over Heerenveen. Their goals were scored by Saibari – who hit the bar against us in Holland – and Guus Til. Manager Peter Bosz has no new injury concerns as he attempts to end PSV\u2019s 15 game run in the Champions League without keeping a clean sheet. That was last achieved against Atletico Madrid in 2016. We may not get another seven this time but some of our not-so-sharp-shooters will relish another go at this defence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


It shouldn\u2019t be forgotten that PSV have a long and solid history in European competition. Currently in their 51st consecutive season in Europe, they have previously won both the UEFA Cup in 1977\/78 and the European Cup in 1987\/88 when they beat Benfica in the final under the leadership of Guus Hiddink. Bobby Robson continued their success into the 1990s while their last \u201cgolden era\u201d came under Philip Cocu when they won three out of four domestic championships between 2015 and 2018.
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They\u2019ve had some famous names playing for them too over time. In the 70s the names that jumped out most to me were the Van de Kerkhof brothers and Jan Poortvliet. More memorable are some names from the late 80s when their squad boasted, among others, Hans van Breukelen, Ronald Koeman and Ruud Gullit.
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Whatever the problems and shortcomings of this season have been, we are on the verge of a Champions League Quarter Final with a possibility of Bukayo Saka returning after the International break. Personally, I would be surprised to see him and, in any event, expectations of him must be very carefully managed. For the meanwhile, we must continue with Mikel Merino who has worked hard to try to adapt and provide a focal point up front. His successes have come moving onto crosses and cutbacks, or timing runs to use his height on crosses and set pieces. There is no point in threading balls through the eye of a needle to him with his back to goal. He is not that player. We may have to go a little bit old school to get the best out of him while he does his best in difficult circumstances. Above all we have to move the ball more quickly to open up space and not creep forwards slowly compressing space into a self created low block.
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Progression to the Quarter Finals will also bring the bonus of a major cash injection to the club, something to please our newly appointed Sporting Director, Andrea Berta, previously with Atletico Madrid. Having already earned \u00a373.5m from the third place finish in the league phase, progression to the quarters will gain another estimated \u00a310-\u00a312 m. Wasting no time in getting the rumour mill churning, there are already suggestions from Sky Sports Switzerland that Berta and Arsenal are interested in 22 year old French striker Hugo Ekitike, who has already scored 18 goals and provided 6 assists for Eintracht Frankfurt since joining from PSG in the summer. Frankfurt would apparently demand \u20ac80m for the player which would fit rather nicely with our newly won bonuses.
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Some other players signed by Berta include Rodri, Antoine Griezmann, goalkeeper Jan Oblak, David Villa, Luis Suarez, Julian Alvarez and Matheus Cunha. We ought to be able to find a few goals under his directorship then. 
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Finally, a tie against Dutch opponents reminds me of a Dutch girl I once got to know. She always wore inflatable shoes. I phoned her up to arrange a date but unfortunately she\u2019d popped her clogs.
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I haven\u2019t even looked at betting odds for this game but we must be long odds on to win the tie. All our likely goal scorers are quoted at 5\/1, 11\/2 if you really can\u2019t resist. 
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Kick off at the Emirates is at 20.00 UK time. TV coverage on TNT Sports. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enjoy the game, Holics !<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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