{"id":2692,"date":"2021-04-07T16:17:31","date_gmt":"2021-04-07T15:17:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=2692"},"modified":"2021-04-09T04:19:32","modified_gmt":"2021-04-09T03:19:32","slug":"arsenal-please-avoid-a-bohemian-scandal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=2692","title":{"rendered":"Arsenal, Please Avoid a Bohemian Scandal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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From paininthearsenal.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Let us first get all the soft illusions out of the way: Slavia Prague \u2013 more accurately SK Slavia Praha or Sportovn\u00ed Klub Slavia Praha<\/em> as they have been known since 1991, in their current incarnation is a considerably dangerous opponent. In their long history since their beginning as SK ACOS Praha<\/em> in 1892 the club has been renamed altogether ten times. Before beating the soon to-be Scottish Champions Rangers in the previous round, they took care of Leicester quite convincingly in the round of 32.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since their resurgence in Czech football in the late 1990s \u2013 they won their first league title after 49 years in 1996, last winning it in the old Czechoslovakian First League in 1947 \u2013 they have made steady progress and in very recent years after the significant investment by the Chinese Sinobo group, which has helped with the reconstruction of stadium and training facilities, the overall quality of their squad, both individually and collectively, have seen marked improvement. In 2019\/2020 they won the Czech First League title easily, and in this season\u2019s domestic league they are leading their traditional rival Sparta Prague \u2013 the team where one super Tom\u00e1\u0161 Rosick\u00fd started and ended his career and where he now operates as a sporting director, I am sure with the same verve and quality that made many of us love him so much in his North London days — by 14 points with 10 games to go, and their overall record this season in the league is 20W, 5D, 0L with a +55 GD. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This season they joined the Europa League at the group stages after losing to the Danish champions FC Midtjylland at the Play-Off round of Champions League qualifying stage. They came second after Bayer Leverkusen in Group C.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However in the previous season Slavia did qualify all the way to the group stages of the Champions League and despite ending at the bottom of group F \u2013 Barcelona, Dortmund and Inter finishing above them \u2013 they had a couple of draws against Barcelona and Inter, all the more eye-catching as the draws came in away matches. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, if any of us are expecting the repeat of our last encounter against Slavia Praha at the Emirates \u2013 the 2007-2008 Champions League group stages home match, where a very young Arsenal squad thrashed the Bohemians 7-0 \u2013 should prepare themselves to be disappointed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their recent European performances against Leicester and Rangers demonstrated that Slavia will back themselves to play their intense 4-1-4-1 formation that uses both pressing high up the field and man marking, not entirely dissimilar to the kind of football Marcelo Bielsa makes his teams good at, where the collective is much greater than the sum of its parts. If we can play through the press and our forward line shows mobility to escape marking, as well as accuracy in their passing, we will be able to trouble their goalmouth frequently enough to get a few goals. On the defensive side our decision making and focus in playing from the back will need to be of the highest quality and cannot suffer from the kind of lapses that has seen us concede utterly stupid goals in the league. Slavia has enough quality up front to punish any mistake in playing out from the back, especially in Abdallah Sima who is in excellent goal-scoring form. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are interested in how Slavia became the currently dominant team in Czech football through patience and careful planning, this analysis is worth your time: https:\/\/thesefootballtimes.co\/2019\/04\/11\/how-slavia-pragues-model-of-sustainability-and-patience-took-them-to-the-top-of-czech-football\/<\/a> . <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what about us? Last weekend\u2019s horror-show against Liverpool demonstrated, among many other concerns, how much we have started to depend on our two academy graduates Emile Smith-Rowe and Bukayo Saka, both of whom were sidelined by some lingering injury\/discomfort. Thankfully the team news seems to confirm their availability, as well as that of Granit Xhaka who, despite all his well-known limitations and the well-understood need for upgrading his position, remains a significant pivot to our tactical consistency and organizational stability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But \u00d8degaard is doubtful as he has been experiencing some problems on his right ankle since his return from the international duty where I think he did suffer from the kind of physical attention a player of his technical ability generally attracts. Even if he misses this game, hopefully he will return for the league match away at Sheffield on Sunday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, the injury sustained by our magnificent left back in our weekend defeat will keep him out for six weeks. That is a terrible blow not only because Kieran Tierney \u2013 in my humble opinion \u2013 is now our most important player given the way he mixes technical quality, drive, intensity and leadership (the lack of which from the captain in recent times has been alarming to say the least) in his game, but also because we have no natural left-footed alternative in the left back position unless Mikel is willing to put Saka back in the position where young Bukayo impressed so much at both ends of the pitch last season, even though that might mean some loss of consistency and creativity in the forward line. Cedric is a capable deputy, but possessing a rather weak left foot definitely limits his game in that position, though he uses his right foot intelligently from the left by switching plays at the right time. Mikel may just trust Cedric\u2019s experience and overall tactical maturity enough to play him in that role consistently until Tierney returns. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I sincerely hope that in the forward line we will now start seeing more of Gabriel Martinelli. He is absolutely the kind of player this team is in need of, a modern forward who takes all aspects of his game seriously, plays at the both end with intensity, definitely the most effective presser the team has, and as his ten goals in half-a-year demonstrated last season he is highly capable in and around the penalty box. Even in his short cameo appearances this season he has looked sharp and ready, and I think he has earned his recall in the starting line-up, ahead of both Aubameyang and Lacazette \u2013 potential and hunger triumphing experience and reputation to freshen things up as well as to send out a message. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I would also like to see Chambers and Mari playing together in defense in this match, they are both level-headed and are low-risk defenders. Gabriel and Holding both had poor matches against Liverpool and sitting a match out may help them clear their heads. With David Luiz sidelined for much of the rest of the season following surgery they will be needed consistently anyway. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If Cedric is playing as the left back, I would like to see a natural left footer in P\u00e9p\u00e9 to start on the left wing, and he played well enough in the last couple of matches where he started on the left. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My preferred line-up would be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leno <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bellerin \u2013 Chambers \u2013 Mari \u2013 Cedric<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Partey \u2013 Xhaka <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saka \u2013 ESR \u2013 P\u00e9p\u00e9<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Martinelli <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I think we will see Mikel start with a bit more pragmatic first eleven: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leno <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bellerin \u2013 Holding \u2013 Mari \u2013 Cedric<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Partey \u2013 Xhaka <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saka \u2013 ESR \u2013 Martinelli<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aubameyang <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And I will be fine with that, especially hoping for the captain to rediscover his form as well as his infectious joy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is a pity that the traveling Arsenal supporters will miss the opportunity to visit or revisit Prague for the away leg. I love Prague \u2013 a city of remarkable cultural, scientific, architectural and historical pedigree \u2013 especially the way it slips through your fingers whenever you want to hold onto any single essence of its polyphonic charm. From Ha\u0161ek to Hrabal to Havel, from Kafka to Kundera to Kl\u00edma\u2026 all these great writers have their Prague remembered and fictionalized (or alluded to in case of Kafka) in what feels like singularly original universes unreachable from one to the other. The Dickensian uber-realism of Jan Neruda probably comes closest to literature as an entirely reliable historical depiction of the city. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Talking about a great city as not only the backdrop but also a living, breathing, loving, lying character in literature, Arthur Conan Doyle\u2019s Victorian London is peerless in its seamless m\u00e9lange of extremes \u2013 the sordid and the sublime, the high and the low, the glitter and the gutter \u2013 as all these elements swirl around in a whirlpool of activities, all of which inevitably get pulled towards the magnetic field of 221B Baker Street and its genius resident. But a genius too can be beaten in his own game, especially when undermined by his own hubris. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Irene Adler may have not been a match for Sherlock Holmes in solving crimes, but that didn\u2019t stop her from outwitting him when it mattered most, especially when the great detective was so sure of his own triumph. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If Arsenal approach this match with respect for their opponent, and with complete commitment to doing all the basics of the game with focus and intensity, they will find moments in the game to make their technical superiority count and win this match with a healthy enough cushion. I am hopeful that the team will respond to not just Arteta\u2019s stern words after the pathetic display against Liverpool last Saturday, but also to the call of their own wounded professional pride. The Europa League this season \u2013 given where we are in the league table and given the transitional stage of the squad, requiring significant improvement over the course of next few windows \u2013 has become extremely important for the club and should be approached with nothing but the best available eleven with everyone demonstrating their very best on every aspect of the game. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am optimistic that we will see the correct response to the Liverpool defeat, and we will also see the right attitude from everyone who puts on the Arsenal shirt on the field of play tomorrow. Even though a 2-0 win \u2013 without conceding a home goal \u2013 would be a better result in the overall context of the tie than a 3-1 win, my guess is we probably will concede a goal. I predict a hard-earned but in the end, an assured 3-1 victory for us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Come on Arsenal!              <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, a date for your diary: 3 May. The opening event of our celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the 1970\/71 Double features Bob Wilson & Pat Rice in conversation about the road to the League Title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Let us first get all the soft illusions out of the way: Slavia Prague \u2013 more accurately SK Slavia Praha or Sportovn\u00ed Klub Slavia Praha as they have been known since 1991, in their current incarnation is a considerably dangerous opponent. In their long history since their beginning as SK ACOS Praha in 1892 the club has been renamed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2692"}],"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\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2692"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2692\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2699,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2692\/revisions\/2699"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2692"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2692"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2692"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}