{"id":2619,"date":"2021-03-21T20:14:47","date_gmt":"2021-03-21T20:14:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=2619"},"modified":"2021-03-25T09:13:29","modified_gmt":"2021-03-25T09:13:29","slug":"the-two-faces-of-arsenal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=2619","title":{"rendered":"The Two Faces Of Arsenal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<center><a id=\"qtOkdoFSS8djU4vXFehynA\" class=\"gie-single\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.co.uk\/detail\/1308282367\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;\" rel=\"noopener\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'qtOkdoFSS8djU4vXFehynA',sig:'y4DbKvLpV7nMHqh8UCpvU3-muVnF3wbjBO4ks0cqUsg=',w:'594px',h:'360px',items:'1308282367',caption: true ,tld:'co.uk',is360: false })});<\/script><script src=\"\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\" async=\"\"><\/script><\/center>\n\n\n\n<p>I wonder whether centipedes think millipedes are show-offs?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Does Spaghetti Bolognese have bacon in it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Which ones are cumulonimbus?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These are just some of the questions that may have been in the minds of our players for the first thirty-five minutes of today\u2019s game against West Ham. Whatever they were thinking of it was not how to play football.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We started diabolically and were three-nil down before we knew where we were (and with no further knowledge of which clouds are which). Seriously, that may be an unusual start to a match report but, compared to our start in the actual match, it is laser focused. We just were not awake, we were not in the game, and fans everywhere would have been seriously worried long before they scored the first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What makes this even more frustrating is that for about fifty-five minutes of the match- from the last ten minutes of the first half until the final whistle- we were excellent. Having unloaded both barrels of a shotgun into our own feet we took the time to reload the damn thing and take a third shot at ourselves before we finally began to play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is no quantifying games like this. They are just the sort of thing this current crop of players are going to serve up from time to time. The ridiculous followed by the sublime. I have no idea whether we should be pleased with a point or pissed off at not getting all three. The start of the match was unacceptable, a point I do not doubt the manager made at half-time, yet some of our attacking play was magnificent. We got to see absolutely the best and worst of the team we have. In typical fashion, we saw everything we fail to do properly, as well as the blueprint for everything we have the potential to be. If we go on to fulfill that potential, then this could be some team we are building. If we don\u2019t, then this could be one hell of a frustrating period in our history. Personally, I think Arteta will get us where we want to be\u2026 but it will take time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, our opponents began brightly, raining in crosses that Sou\u010dek, in particular, could have scored from. They did score after fourteen minutes (I am not sure if we had touched the ball by then) when Antonio came short and then spun in behind Luiz. The defender shepherded him wide, yet when he passed it back to Lingard on the edge of the box, we had left him unmarked. We had 7 players back in the box, but none had seen the danger. Chambers tried too late to block the excellent shot that flew past Leno. It was not good defensively, but we were about to get much worse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bowen scored quickly after that. Antonio Kaned a foul from Jon Moss despite Saka getting the ball. The big man just crumpled over the ball and the whistle obligingly sounded. Then we switched off. They took a quick free-kick (did we stop so completely because the ref reached for his can of spray to draw a white line, indicating he was not going to allow a quick free-kick?) and Bowen got in down the right and slotted under Leno, who should have saved it. We can have no complaints. It was our responsibility to be switched on and not for the first time we were caught by a quick free kick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Their third came after we lost the ball playing out complacently down the left. I am all for this tactic when it is implemented properly, but we need to be switched on. Today, we were not. Auba completely failed to track his man or cover Tierney in any way, and it did not look like our day when the cross came in and Antonio beat David Luiz to the header, which was going wide until it brushed an onside Soucek and went past Leno.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The London Stadium ground staff were frantically reloading soapy liquid into their bubble machine. They had never used it up so fast before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, they need not have bothered, as at this point the match changed. We woke up and began to play. By the end of the game, we had created an absolute hatful of chances and, as Arteta observed afterwards, we could have scored 6 or 7. Laca had one hooked off the line. He played Saka through beautifully and the young man should have beaten our erstwhile \u2018keeper Fabianski. There were countless times when the ball just did not quite fall for us, or West Ham got a block in. In a game full of chances, The Irons themselves also had one more great opportunity to score a goal that would surely have put the game beyond us, Antonio hitting the post after we had pulled two back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first one we did score went down as an own goal after a shot from the magnificent Lacazette took a deflection off Sou\u010dek and flew in on 38 minutes. Calum GarrinChambers (copyright Trev) got his first assist of two in a marvellous display that was quite possibly the best right back performance we have seen this season. He crossed brilliantly, marauded up and down the wing, interchanged positions well with the dangerous Saka and the excellent Odegaard\u2026 and still managed to pull off a fantastic covering double-stop to prevent them scoring in the second half. Not a bad day\u2019s work for the lad, although he will be miffed to have shipped three goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the second half (after a right earful from the Boss, I\u2019d bet) we continued to apply pressure from the first whistle. Bowen fell over hoping for a foul that was only in his head. It was Laca\u2019s turn to take a free kick quickly (he put his hand on the ball to stop it and luckily VAR failed to notice that it was still turning a fraction of a rotation as he kicked it) and, as we played it wide, it was Calum, doing his Cafu impression, who whipped in a fiendish ball that Dawson could only turn into his own net.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our third was really good. Odegaard, who was unlucky not to be given MOTM after a scintillating display of close control and probing passes mixed with downright incisive ones, played sub Pepe in out wide. The Ivorian used his weaker foot to put in a cross that Chambers would have been proud of (seriously, the quality of that ball is of the very highest order) and Lacazette found space to score a header that he richly deserved. He was fantastic today- his best game in ages. He played some wonderful through balls, made great runs, was constantly dangerous, and, best of all, worked his balls off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I am a huge fan of Auba, but Lacazette\u2019s performance showed up our captain today. He was utterly anonymous, apart from when he was misplacing simple passes or conspicuous by his failure to be in a defensive position he should have been occupying. Worst of all, just did not put the effort in. He was our worst performer. However, he will want to be back to his best as soon as possible, and I am sure he will score vital goals for us before the season is over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We did not manage to get a winner, and I do have some frustrations about that as we created so much. But to get a draw after being 3-0 down is not something we should turn our noses up at.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some thoughts on individuals\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>None of them were up to much in the first 35 minutes but Odegaard, Laca and Tierney were the ones who particularly stood out as being up for the battle. Xhaka was tremendously slow and backwardsy, as usual. Luiz, like most, got better, but I thought he showed exactly why he is a player we should not be relying on three times a week. He looked jaded. Leno should have saved the second but was otherwise good. Mari did fine. Saka looked tired but the kid is so classy. Partey tired as the game went on, but he is able to thread balls through the middle in a way we have missed for years; he is such an important player for our future. Tierney is a future captain (as soon as possible please Mikel!) The subs were good this time around. Pepe and ESR adding impetus and Xhaka coming off enabling us to get an extra attacking body on. Pepe again showed a moment of real class that helped us get a result. Gabi was quiet, but that was no loss as he replaced the ghostly Aubameyang. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lacazette commented afterwards that the players had not respected the gameplan that Arteta had set out for them to begin with. We have no idea what it was, although we know it was not \u201cright lads, play like inebriated badgers wearing clogs who think the ball is a balloon filled with Harry Kane\u2019s drool\u201d, as that was what they executed to perfection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Saka and Auba started on the wrong wings, in a move that was switched back after twenty minutes. Arteta said it was not the cause of our improvement, and he is right, but I imagine most of us do not wish to see this tactic repeated<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I will leave it up to everyone in the drinks to decided whether the players or the manager take the Lion\u2019s share of the blame for how we started. Personally, I cannot give the Boss any credit, but I think the players have to front up. In his interview with Sky, Arteta said we had been unacceptable. He spoke of our two faces- one of which plays incredibly well, while the other is \u201cabout giving goals to the opponent and not doing what we have to do.\u201d He seemed somewhere way out beyond beyond furious; just utterly bemused by what he had seen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I know how he feels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Have a good one \u2018holics.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Embed from Getty Images I wonder whether centipedes think millipedes are show-offs? Does Spaghetti Bolognese have bacon in it? Which ones are cumulonimbus? These are just some of the questions that may have been in the minds of our players for the first thirty-five minutes of today\u2019s game against West Ham. Whatever they were thinking [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2619"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2619"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2619\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2654,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2619\/revisions\/2654"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2619"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2619"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2619"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}