courtesy @allthatchas
Big game today, Arsenal face Neil Warnock’s Cardiff City away from home. For the Bluebirds, it kicks off a trio of nightmare games for them, with Chelsea and City following our visit. It could be a gloomy run for them if Arsenal bring some of that destruction football we’ve yet to see land season.
Unai Emery has his own batch of issues to deal with. Firstly, he hasn’t won a single game away from home. No big deal, he’s only played one, but when you put the issue against the backdrop of our woeful away record in 2018 (we’ve lost 8 of our last 9), it could be a problem if he doesn’t bag three points today.
The main theme of the day will no doubt be Mesut Ozil and the drama he’s faced over the past few weeks. The manager has gone to bat for the German, stating he was in fact, very ill. It took a week to concoct an excuse deeper than just ill, then when it landed, it was stated that he had a highly contagious disease (with the club curiously allowing him into the dressing room). Our manager had this to say on the matter.
“For me that is one thing; I don’t stop during my career for everything that the news says about me or the players. But in this situation with Mesut Ozil it is clear, he is OK, he has the commitment we want, he is a very important player for us and we want to help him to give us the best performance in each match and each moment.”
Regardless of what the real story is, this is a chance to see what Emery does with a fully fit Ramsey and a fully fit Ozil.
Does the Welshman continue to play as a number 10? Does Ozil find himself moved out wide right like he is for Germany? I’d hazard a guess and predict yes to both questions. The modern #10 needs to work hard for the team, and in Emery’s 11, you have to be able to deal with the tasks that you’re handed. Admittedly, Ozil isn’t going to be tracking the sublime Jorginho today, but he’ll still have to do a job. If the future is Rambo at #10, let’s start building muscle memory by positioning him where he’ll play for the Liverpool game in a 7 games time.
Additionally, Emery needs to settle on a midfield he can keep on the pitch past 45minutes. We should see a start from Torreira, and I’d say he’ll likely continue with Xhaka in the starting 11. The Swiss isn’t my favourite player, but it can’t be denied that he looked far more effective when he had a real DM sitting behind him doing the dirty work.
We’ll also have some interesting decisions up top. Does the manager continue with Auba through the middle? Does he bring the sparky Lacazette back into the fold? Or does he just admit he made a huge mistake with his strikers and go with Danny Welbeck.
The dream for tomorrow is that the defensive methodologies start to sink in. We haven’t looked comfortable at the back since preseason began, and it’s unnerving quite how poor we’ve been, even against West Ham. No team has conceded more shots on target than us, clocking an incredible 24 thus far. Cardiff hasn’t managed a single goal so far this season, meaning we’re absolutely ripe to go a goal down after 9 minutes. We’ve conceded 4 goals this season before 30minutes has played out, we need to make amends today and start building confidence. Emery just need to go classic Sunday league…
‘Lads, keep it fucking tight for the first 30, then let’s build from there. Tommy, stop smoking, and please don’t call the ref a fat c*nt today.’
Finally, before you go. How’s this article for making you feel a little ill.
The signing of Aaron Donald to the richest defensive contract in NFL history Friday was a triumph of the Rams’ greatest force.
That force is the guy who will pay him.
In capping off a wallet-purging offseason that has cemented the team’s championship hopes, Donald was guaranteed $87 million as part of a $135-million deal that celebrated the Rams’ most valuable player.
That MVP is owner Stan Kroenke.
In his three years since moving the Rams back to town, Kroenke has made an impact larger than the giant defensive tackle himself, larger than all the stars he has made rich, as big as any Los Angeles sports business leader since Phil Anschutz stuck a shovel in the ground that Staples Center sits atop. Kroenke has not only been the Rams’ biggest force, but a force on the entire local sports landscape, spending, building, growing, committing.
He gets Los Angeles. He understands its fans. He knows what works, and, man, he’s been working it.
Shame when he bought Arsenal, he did nothing of the sort. He let us flounder in the mud with zero investment. In the U.S., it seems he’s found his mojo, inking massive contracts whilst dealing with the $3billion the Inglewood stadium cost him to build.
Listen to this carry-on.
He said he would build the Rams into a team that will compete for championships. That is also happening. With Kevin Demoff, the chief operating officer and vice president of football operations, and general manager Les Snead working the controls, they have put together a team favored by some to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.
“It all starts with Stan, he has the vision,” said Snead. “He empowers us. He expects us to bring that vision to fruition. Then he steps back and lets you do your job.”
Donald was only the finale of a string of big contracts and acquisitions that filled the summer. Not only do the Rams now have the highest-paid defensive player in history, they also have the highest-paid running back in Todd Gurley. When you throw in the signings of receiver Brandin Cooks and tackle Rob Havenstein, Kroenke agreed to pay $198.7 million in guaranteed contracts that could wind up being a $306-million payout.
Stan empowered absolutely NOBODY at Arsenal for 10 years as he fawned over Arsene Wenger like a teenager put in a room with peak Thierry Henry. Absolutely disgusting that finally, Stan has realised how to become a ‘franchise owner’ and the club he’s dishing out the 20/20 vision to is based in L.A.
Fuck NFL. It’s going down the toilet anyway. Who the fuck is going to put their kids, as young as 8, on the path serious injury, and maybe even death? Real football is the future, and that’s a fact I just made up.
Imagine if Stan had the same passion for making Arsenal great 10 years ago? What a different story our football lives would have been…
Right, enjoy the game, I’ll see you all in the comments.
x
Dreamt PEA scored 5 against Cardiff….so 2-1 Arsenal!
It ain’t gonna be easy today
I hope I just tanked all you positioning pricks
Cardiff 2 Arsenal 5
Hockey score game
0-1
I don’t understand the line about Emery admitting he made a mistake with his strikers and going with Welbeck
A lot wrong there IMO
The Rams are meh. Bossed a weak ass division last season, then got bounced in the first round of the playoffs. As far as Kroenke’s LA adventure, let’s just wait and see. LA has never been a real football town before now. Couldn’t keep the teams it had before. The Chargers are really bad. The Raiders are bailing on California all together come 2020. The Lakers just got LeBron so the Rams aren’t the biggest ticket in town anymore. That happened fast eh.
Asked how Emery differs from previous Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, Ramsey said: “He’s a lot more detailed on the opposition and we are playing different styles and trying to press a lot higher up the pitch and trying to hold a higher line to win the ball back in more dangerous areas.
Really shocker!
Torreira and Lacazette need to start
Horrible reading that about Stan.
Just hope his son either has, or develops more passion for Arsenal
Unai You’re wrong. I do not defend wenger’s last 5 years as he’d clearly lost that je ne sais quois. I do however support arsenal and our players and our manager and want us to succeed. Just as I did when Wenger was in charge, no matter the aparhetic appearance of some of our displays. We weren’t as far away as many think but like a hero on addict he was chasing that elusive dragon which was always a tantalising distance from his reach. He ruined our youth players after RvP left and he could not spit glaring deficiencies in… Read more »
Stan took a huge gamble with the Inglewood development, and thus far the Angelenos have shown zero interest. Most of them are soccer people anyway. His final resort is to throw money around, a reminder of the panic shown by the Glazers at Man U. In other words, it’s unlikely to work. And that ludicrous pro-Kroenke blurb is fake news. What won’t be mentioned is if he loads AFC with his £550m debt, the way the Glazers loaded theirs on Man U. Emery has two problems: the first is a disjointed squad. Licking them into shape will take time, a… Read more »
just call it the advanced midfield role for Ramsey, rather than the #10 role. he ain’t a #10
Un na “I cannot abide the ridiculousness of the suggestion that he was lucky or he inherited a title winning side or that he was incompetent. The man was a genius and the greatest manager we ever had. He may have lost that magic but he had it.” Really refreshing to have someone with a sense of balance and some measure of objectivity join this space Do not let the usual suspects deter you from giving your two pence,I mean in just one post you’ve shown them up of how how ridiculous and laughable their agenda is. Keep it coming… Read more »
Wallace
Marko seems to think that he was playing no10 agaisnt West Ham and Manchester City though?? How can you disagree. It’s not even up for debate he says!!!
I wouldn’t even call him advanced midfield
Just a giant gap where a midfielder should be
*Apathetic
*heroin addict- not hero addict
Interesting Englandsbest.
If Stan is clearly hindering Arsenal to the extent the team suffer significantly on the pitch, I believe people will just stop attending now the precedent has been set. I remain convinced empty seats played a major role in him calling time on Wenger.
Maybe the African guy, assuming he is the real deal, will make Stan an offer he cannot refuse one day but won’t be holding my breath.
Victorious
Cheers. It’s irritating to have people keep pushing words into my mouth. You’re just a Wenger fan boy. He could do no wrong. Bla bla bla. It’s actually reverse projection. They can’t see past their own contempt to bring themselves to admit the qualities the man possessed and his postings attributes it to commend his legendary achievements, make no mistake, the are legendary
Un na naai
Look, the man was no genius, I mean Arsene Wenger. He should’ve won the league in 2008 after we led it for so long and needed just a single player in January window opener to reinforce in midfield but failed.
Don’t talk about resources because Leicester had none but won the league in his face.
Compare Spurs resources and ours and judge how good they’re now. He was just lucky and also had lazy and compliant Board who just followed whatever he said.
Good riddance.
Positive attributes
Surely we can keep a clean sheet against goalless Cardiff?
I know we have the tendency in kick-starting the campaign for oppositions but hopefully we make Lightwork of this
0-3 to the good guys plweasse
Howard
The man created the greatest side the premier league has ever seen. Arguably alongside Utd 99.
How can I take you seriously when you start begin your tirade on such an unjustifiable basis?
He took boring boring arsenal and turned us into the most aesthetically pleasing side in Europe. Did you actually watch us for. 98-08?
Forget the trophies. Forget the 49 games unbeaten. To just watch those sides was to experience the true joy of watching football, why do you think the likes of Bamford decided they were going to call themselves gunners?
This role that Ramsey played v city and West ham and also ozil played v Chelsea isn’t really working atm. They rarely get on the ball and influence the game and seem to be preoccupied with chasing shadows in a futile attempt to play the pressing game . Until we get our most influential players on the ball then we will have no real control of the game. We have had a couple of really good periods in games when we have clicked as a team and we have looked really good going forward ,normally when we have scored a… Read more »
Before we talk Arsenal, just say, fuck you stan’. Absolute garbage of an owner.
Un na naai
49 games unbeaten, great but he couldn’t replicate it on the continent.
Great invincibles that failed miserably on the continent. He had no Euro honours
He should’ve been pushed far earlier. Well, he achieved some things but he wasn’t great for 22 years. So many missed opportunities.
Anyone who signs Sanogo is no genius.
Howard 1. We didn’t fail miserably. We were unlucky not to win it in 04 and 06 when we should have. Maybe some of that can be attributed to Wenger but his players missed great chances to score both agaisnt Chelsea and Barca 2. So because he didnt winthe champions league that means he was lucky to win 3 titles and construct the league’s greatest ever side? Do you read this shit before you send it? You are deliberately brushing over the invincibles to try and verify your biased. It’s absurd. Just accept the man was our greatest manager and… Read more »
Un na “It’s irritating to have people keep pushing words into my mouth. You’re just a Wenger fan boy. He could do no wrong. Bla bla bla. It’s actually reverse projection. They can’t see past their own contempt to bring themselves to admit the qualities the man possessed and his postings attributes it to commend his legendary achievements, make no mistake, the are legendary” haha Welcome to Legrove! Can’t agree enough, again you have the nail firmly on the head It’s a poor rhetoric alright, Wenger who gave the club it’s greatest moments is apparently now the greatest evil and… Read more »
David Smith
I shan’t be holding my breath either.
But you are right. The only way to deal with Stan is to hit him where it hurts: in his pocket
Jamie
Fergie signed djemba djemba and Massimo Taibi. David bellion.
Jose got rid of lukaku and mata and de bruyne and salah.
Capello put Beckham in the reserves only for him to come back and push real to the title
Every single manager makes mistakes
It’s called being human. And by the time he signed sanogo he’d clearly lost his way.
Blog is stunningly boring to read with the likes of Victorious, Pierre, CC, Un na naai (Don) and now Joe. So little current talk and so much of once-upon-a-time. Close to none football talk either. Boring, boring, boring…
Who gives a f**k about Wenger, certainly about defending him? He left us in a shit position, limited our funds, built a totally unbalanced squad to the point it is laughable, his arrogance and desire for control mean Arsenal are years behind their opponents off the field, basically destroyed the fan base, left a squad on bloated wages because of his socialist ideas and trying to get around the investment clause, bought without any system in mind like a kid playing FIFA, left a team of players with no balls and no footballing education or coaching and has meant in… Read more »
For today’s game I hope we are to win 1:2. Tough game for sure and based on what we’ve seen so far we shouldn’t expect an easy win. Auba brace maybe on the cards.
Interesting to see if Laca, Torreira will start. Guen will be dropped probably. Iwobi should start imo so if it was me I’d pick Iwobi, Auba, Mikki with Ramsey, Tor and Guen in the middle. Tough lineup to predict with Auba, Laca, Iwobi, Welbeck, Ozil, Mikki, Ramsey all fighting for 4 positions.
————————Leno———————–
Lichtsteiner, Sokratis, Mustafi, Monreal
———————-Torreria———————
——–Guendouzi———–Xhaka————
Mkhitaryan————————–Welbeck
——————-Aubameyang——————
Though I could understand the whole Lacazette and Aubameyang playing together being done.
I would also bring Bellerin on later in the game as RM and give that a go, I’m not convinced by his passing, dribbling etc but why not? Unless Lichtsteiner needs to come off or things just aren’t playing out that way.
I wold also bring Ozil on late, see if that puts a rocket up his arse and teaches him a lesson.
Games like today’s are our bread and butter. 4-1 Arsenal. A clean sheet would be nice, though.
I like Cesc’s line-up above. Decent bench with Laca, Ramsey, and Ozil too.
We need to keep a clean sheet first an foremost.
Haven’t watched arsenal on a live stream before..anyone know of one
G
Universal tv sports
Download it onto your phone, I pad. It’s an app. Best quality I’ve encountered
Or go to the pub
https://www.reddit.com/r/soccerstreams/
Raptora
Can’t help but notice all but one of those names posters are people who can see a positive light in much of the last 20 years.
Funny that. But by all means moan about the blog being boring despite no notable input from yourself, all sorts of sense there.
Boring ‘us vs them’ rhetoric as per.
Jesus Christ, can these Wenger love in talks just cease? These new breeds coming on here with little interest for current AFC affairs are really doing a number on what was once a great comment section.
G
If you have an I pad down load live sports tv HD
And watch it for free on BeIN Sports.
Has Gazidis left the building yet?
Wenger was a snake oil merchant who benefited from fiszman and deins vision and George Graham’s defence.
I don’t see Ozil on the right alongside bellerin. Disaster. He can only play in the middle unless we start lichtsteiner which I don’t see happening. There’s a greater chance of Ramsey on the right and Ozil in the middle a la 2015 but then mkhi is dropped which doesn’t seem fair on the basis of contribution so far this season.
You guys are like a lot of women who meet a guy and try to change him, let it be or just go and find the one you want.
…tying in my analogy to football – just go on to sites where Wenger is still highly reverred rather than crying every single day in the comments section only to then return out of choice.
THANKS
I like the shake up in your lineup Cesc, I just think Emery isn’t brave in his team selections. I reckon maybe Ozil will come back in to the starting 11.
His selections are the only real bee in my bonnet currently.
Can anyone here explain what’s happened to the sc called war chest we once had not so long ago of Reputedly £200 million plus?wernt we at once stage the biggest cash rich club in world football? Not that it’s done us any good.perhaps it’s been explained already.if so my apologies.
Sleazy Stan is the cancer at the very heartof Arsenal – our club. The sooner he takes his money and his twisted values and shoves them up his arse the better for all proper football suppoorters.
Leftsidesanch
I agree.
If he plays Mkhitaryan, Ozil and Ramsey we’re in trouble I think.
I don’t get why Emery is so safe with selections because he is ruthless with substitutions.
Uwot –
A quick Google reveals we had something like £135m in cash reserves in Feb 2018. Down on our supposed £200m a few years earlier.
We’ve ‘lost’ considerable cash by failing to qualify for the CL 3 years on the bounce. Our cash reserves have also depreciated due to transfer market hyper inflation and the lower value of the pound against the euro.
Laca and ozil are in.
Arsenal team to play Cardiff: Cech, Bellerin, Sokratis, Mustafi, Monreal, Xhaka, Guendouzi, Ramsey, Aubameyang, Lacazette, Ozil.
Subs: Leno,Lichtsteiner, Holding, Elneny, Torreira, Mkhitaryan, Welbeck.
As i mentioned before, but just going to see how this one plays out
Sorry I have no pity for you London Arsenal fans who repeatedly blame Kroenke.. It was greedy English shares owners like lady Bracewell-Smith that caused the whole problem anyway. I always backed the ‘dirty’ Uzbek-Ruskie because he articulated a meaningless vision of spending on the footballing side to catch up. He was spurned by most gooners. It’s home fans who repeatedly sang “one Arsene Wenger” even when it was obvious he was a relic of the manager we all liked in the first decade. Now it’s Kroenke-this, Yank-that. It seems the glory goes to Wenger while Kroenke gets all the… Read more »
That lineup leaves us very open to counters…would have started Lucas in place of Matteo
Still no Torreira.
Let’s see if Ozil has been taught a lesson and whether he will actually put some work in now.
Ransey needs to help out in CM as well today if he’s playing CAM.
Solid attacking line up
still no Torreira,not sure you can pin that to fitness at this stagr
Emery prefers the Xhaka-Guendouzi pivot,end of
Yeah Cardiff can come straight through that middle, especially if Ramsey does his usual.
Bellerin will be exposed as well.
Emery’s line ups are worrying me now. See how it plays out.
What is Emery doing again?
This is getting ridiculous
#FreeTorriera
I’m kind of with Dissenter in that I don’t really care who the owner is provided they don’t leverage debt onto the club. No owner of a top club should have to ‘dip into their pocket’ to subsidise transfer market purchases. We can operate just fine with a self-sustaining model. The onus is on the management team to increase commercial revenues and make us more financially competitive with the sugar-daddy clubs. If Kroenke does commit 500m debt to Arsenal, we’ll drop even further behind and his asset will suffer. He’ll want us back on the CL gravy train as much… Read more »
Taken 3 games for Emeeyto realize Auba is not the bees knees at CF for us,
good he he’s quick go learn because Auba seem always on the periphery and just what the chances on a plate, of which the team did for him and still he fluffed his lines against chavs
stage’s all set for Laca to send a message
Good to see Lacazette and Aubameyang starting together. Love their chemistry. Disappointed still no Torreira tho. Imagine he’ll come on at half again to close the game defensively. Would like to see him for an entire 90 at some point ffs.
He might get away with it because it’s only Cardiff but… you can’t play Ozil and Ramsey in the same team!
We’ll see.
very attacking. no problem with that as long as everyone works hard.
He’s too scared to bench Xhaka, just don’t get it.
Mikki on for Ozil in the 60-65th (can’t put in a shift to begin with, let alone coming off the virus), Torriera on for Guendouzi unless xhaka is shit
Thanks for the info Jamie.as Gambon said at the time & a few others if I can recall.it made no sense particularly with inflation & spiralling transfer fees to hoard the dosh.what a f****ng waste of resources.when we needed them most.
every manager who works with Xhaka always has him in the side. weird, huh?
I’ve been hearing with Torreira it’s a case of language issues holding him back.truthfully I don’t know….
WallaceSeptember 2, 2018 13:22:02
every manager who works with Xhaka always has him in the side. weird, huh?
___
Very weird seeing how shit he is.
Dissenter
It’s unbelievable! You still interpret criticism of Kroenke as an attempt to whitewash Wenger. Man, Wenger is gone, nobody sensible gives a s**t about him anymore.
Jamie
Good thinking. Yes, Stan will be concerned if Arsenal do so badly – relegated, perhaps – that it’s losing him money. But throwing more money at Arsenal won’t happen, he prefers to spend it on the Rams. He will likely sell the Club – an outcome to be fervently prayed for.
“He’s too scared to bench Xhaka, just don’t get it.”
Of course you wont get it….not when you’re staring with the notion that he’s scared of Xhaka.
Haha Wallace you cheeky boy 🙂
Torriera could play with a pocket dictionary in his pocket, translate something, then react on the pitch and still be reading the game faster than xhaka. Language issues my ass
It’s plain and simple: the Glazers and the Kroenkes are carpetbaggers. Which set of fans will be the first to do something?
englandsbest
I’ll just repeat what I wrote earlier in case you missed it.
“Kroenke is Arsenal….and Arsenal is Kroenke. That’s the foreseeable future, scram if you don’t like it.
Deal with it and stop moaning like bi*ches. He’s not going anywhere.
Until you find another billionaire in your neighborhood willing to convince him to sell and then buy him out”
Do you know any billionaire interested.
If not, decide who youre going too be supporting for the foreseeable future because Kroenke is now Arsenal.
Already, almost a needless mistake from
cech who cardiff will target from playing out from the back all match
coyg
Come on Arsenal!!!
Wallace and Charlie
Yea yea yea, always the first name on the team sheet isn’t he? The writing is on the wall with your favorite arsenal midfielder. I’m not overly worried about it. We’ll be seeing less and less of him (already have seen him yanked off early a few times), eventually he won’t be seen hardly at all. May take another 2 months, maybe not til this time next year, but he’s just about finished being a regular feature and I’m just about finished having to endure watching him
Is Cech doing comedy?
Cech just passed the ball in front of his post.
This playing out from the back thing isn’t pretty to watch when you don’t have the personnel for it.
Cech the footless oaf.
And again, why does he start Cech and play this way when hes not comfy doing so?
Cech is a fucking clown.
Cech just passed to an enemy!
He should have never came out with this 5 captains marlarkey cos now he feels duty bound to shove them into the side no matter what.
What on earth are they doing at the back? This is comedic. So lucky not to get punished.
…yet Leno can’t get a start? 🙂
The Attack and defence are playing 2 different games..in the same game. This is truly terrible.
Emery is being a dick when he keeps playing a 36 year old goalie in a role that he’s not suited for.
He’s not going to learn new tricks at the age of 36 years, is he?
Xhaka over Torreira yet again. Very smart decision that I’m sure his agent will be reminding him of come next summer when he’s engineering a move back to Italy for him.
Cech is shite
Hey Emery! You ever heard You can’t teach an old dog new tricks!
It’s not Cech alone though, Sokratis is equally uncomfortable with ball at his feet. He returned each of the pass he received from Cech back to him.
Xhaka just got an assist.
If you apply the Ozil standard of “assist”
Great header
Good powerful header
Good header Mustafi
get in. let’s keep it solid at the back for a clean sheet now…
Giving him at least a season like everyone else.. But trying to convert Cech into a ball playing GK especially when you have one on the bench, really is daft by Emery
TR7
“It’s not Cech alone though, Sokratis is equally uncomfortable with ball at his feet. He returned each of the pass he received from Cech back to him.”
Cech was supposed to hoof the ball, nothing to do with Sokratis, the backpass was appropriate.