{"id":4423,"date":"2021-12-18T21:24:13","date_gmt":"2021-12-18T21:24:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=4423"},"modified":"2021-12-20T19:28:21","modified_gmt":"2021-12-20T19:28:21","slug":"a-bad-day-for-graeme-souness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=4423","title":{"rendered":"A Bad Day for Graeme Souness"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color:#fff;display:inline-block;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;color:#a7a7a7;font-size:11px;width:100%;max-width:594px;\"><div style=\"padding:0;margin:0;text-align:left;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.co.uk\/detail\/1359709551\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;\" rel=\"noopener\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div><div style=\"overflow:hidden;position:relative;height:0;padding:68.013466% 0 0 0;width:100%;\"><iframe src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/1359709551?et=YvbM3IHvR4V5myzkSimzXg&amp;tld=co.uk&amp;sig=mt6lHoWj5pwBNXc_Sp5wDldPSX7VfHjiqb487WHrj1U=&amp;caption=true&amp;ver=1\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"594\" height=\"404\" style=\"display:inline-block;position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;margin:0;\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>A great first half and a fantastic result against Leeds threw up a huge number of talking points in the late (only) kickoff this Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Apparently, Rob Holding reported some racist abuse during the match. Everything else can take a back seat whilst we still have to face these issues with such depressing regularity. We, as a football community, must do our part in what is undoubtedly a wider societal issue, and bring education and basic decency to places and people who are sadly in need of them. Let\u2019s keep taking on that challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As for the football itself, well, I am not going to do this one blow-by-blow as I\u2019d still be writing at midnight. We could have scored double figures today, and although it is strange to say of a performance in which we scored four goals, we really did not make the most of the chances we created.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ll make a few points and look forward to the discussion in the drinks!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First off &#8211; there is so, so much to like about this young side. Saka was just immense. Gabriel Martinelli has grabbed his opportunity to be a deciding force in matches in a way that is just a joy to watch. Martin \u00d8degaard has found his feet in this league and is starting to show what he can do. His ball through to ESR was perfect, just perfect. And not a single one of them is anywhere near their ceiling. These are exciting times!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tomiyasu is an absolute beast. He is just playing so well. Furthermore, his position is key to our success. Having a defensively secure right back who can contribute going forward, as well as tuck in-field when necessary, is vital to the structure of the team. As well as the quality of his actions, it is just the fact that he is almost never out of position which is so useful to the ten other blokes in matching shirts. What a player!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Gabriel is excellent. Nuff said. Ditto Ramsdale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, Ben White got some serious minus points for a stupid tackle to concede a clear penalty. Although he amused me with his pretence that it was a good challenge, in an effort to throw Andre Marriner off his game (kudos to Ramsdale for how quickly he cottoned on to this and went with it. A classic bit of \u201cyes, and\u2026\u201d improv from a young keeper who seems able to do pretty much anything)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Raphinha showed Laca, and anyone else interested, how you take a penalty. He smashed it into the top corner, and no-one is saving that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Speaking of Raphinha, he was perhaps lucky to be on the pitch. Not because of his own actions but because of a certain cretin he had the misfortune to play against who tried very hard to snap his shinbone with a disgraceful challenge that I was embarrassed and disgusted to see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, folks, it is time to talk about Granit Xhaka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, cards on the table, for anyone who has been living under a rock\u2026 I really don\u2019t like the guy. I don\u2019t like him as a player. I don\u2019t like him as a man. As a player he is slow and his recklessness makes him a complete liability. As a man, he talks a good game but consistently behaves in a way that lets his team down. Whatever code of conduct he adheres to, it is a Granit Xhaka personal code of ethics. And if that code clashes with the Arsenal Football Club code then he doesn\u2019t give a toss. I will never be on board with this sort of individual who pretends to be a team player but consistently lets down the badge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, with that disclaimer out of the way, I will simply say that he played quite a good game, including a lovely pass for Gabi\u2019s second, but he should have been red carded, the yellow he did get for time-wasting was brainless, and if I never saw him in my team\u2019s colours again that would be a lovely Christmas present. Thank goodness Raphinha was able to continue. If Xhaka had done that to him in the street he would be arrested for assault. Just a nasty, horrible, needless challenge lacking in basic professionalism, let alone the class we hope to have as a club.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Which brings us to VAR. If it is not going to send him off for that challenge then what is point of it? Just like every other week, it proves itself unfit for purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Partey has stabilised somewhat. Not great, but a solid presence. He also took a shot that was on target. I assume his contract stipulates that he will be fined for this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>ESR scores when he wants. He is just brilliant. So good to watch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lacazette has every right to see who is offering what money for his services next year. And he won\u2019t be getting a bumper offer from us. But if he fancies a one-year deal I hope we make him a decent offer. The guy is playing some of the best football of his career. ESR, and especially Gabigol, are wonderful foils for his current interpretation of the striker\u2019s role, as they both get into the box when he has dropped back. He needs them to be there, or it just looks like he is in the wrong space, but defenders struggle so much when they don\u2019t know whether to stick to him as he drops off, or track runners, or whether this is the time he is going to make the near post run. He is a clever player. He also played the whole game tonight and is good captain material. Even if he does leave at the end of the season, he is really giving everything for the colours. Top man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Leeds will go down if their standard is like it was tonight. They made it easy for us. We missed so many chances, in the first half especially. Our goal difference could have been given a huge boost tonight. Saka in the third minute missed an absolute sitter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Covid has certainly changed the Fantasy League landscape! We will have to keep an eye on developments as there are serious issues about the viability of playing matches for the first time in a while. Christmas with cancelled matches would be very depressing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I laughed very much at Graeme Souness on Sky. He is just so bitter about everything. I hope something good happens to him soon, although I have no idea what he might consider to be good. Tonight he looked like he was only breathing grudgingly, and on the condition that he could use the oxygen keeping him alive to make criticisms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mikel Arteta deserves a lot of credit. Some of our football tonight was brilliant. We have exciting young players who want to attack and score goals. It is increasingly easy to see how the basic structure provides the platform for them to express themselves and improvise some truly wonderful football. I am tearing my hair out at the manager for his sadistic picking of Xhaka in the middle of the park (it just hurts me at this point) and he has a lot to learn. But he has taken plenty of stick when things have not gone our way, and I think most people can now see what he trying to build. Top four this year, then onwards!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Right, that\u2019s all a bit jumbled up, so pick out the bits you like and talk about them in the drinks. And tell me what bits I\u2019ve left out\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Have a good one \u2018holics.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Embed from Getty Images A great first half and a fantastic result against Leeds threw up a huge number of talking points in the late (only) kickoff this Saturday. Apparently, Rob Holding reported some racist abuse during the match. Everything else can take a back seat whilst we still have to face these issues with [&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\/4423"}],"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=4423"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4423\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4439,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4423\/revisions\/4439"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4423"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4423"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4423"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}