I tell you what, I’ve been listening to a lot of classical music this year. I’m not sure if that’s a sign of age, or that I feel disenchanted by the constant bickering between Kanye and Drake. Can’t you both just be friends?
Anyway, big up the classical music scene. Some absolute bangers from John Adams and Tchaikovsky pulling me through this post.
I know that it upsets people that I use references of the not-so-distant past to frame up where we are now, but look, for context, I’m the kind of guy who will make a beeline for a work colleague on a packed train, just to acknowledge that I have seen them… even if they are avoiding eye contact with headphones on. Simply put, I’m going to compare Wenger to Emery for at least another year, so get used to it.
Unai Emery showed exactly how different the mentality at the club is these days.
“I think we are doing our way and improving, but the reality is that we need more.
“Our ideas and work with the players is to learn together. All of us can give everybody new ideas.
“I think the players are open to listening to us about our new tactical work with our analysis in videos. We need to do this work quickly, but we also need patience.
If this had been 2 years ago, we’d be talking about winning the league and the big twitter accounts would be digging up tweets from 7 years ago gleefully proclaiming the victory was theirs!
Not anymore. Our manager is a pragmatist very much anchored to reality. We’re in 5th position, that’s not good enough, and even though we’re not losing, we could be doing better.
That’s a great attitude. That’s a message to players that complacency won’t be tolerated, nor will premature-back patting. We’ve achieved nothing this season and we’re still a long way off the levels City and Liverpool are bringing to the table.
This season is fierce, so many teams are on an absolute rampage. Spurs and City won again, Liverpool is likely to decapitate Jose Mourinho tomorrow when they host his shit-housing-extraordinaires. We have to keep up the pace, there’s no room for dropped points and that sort of pressure is hard to deal with.
It’s going to be very tough tomorrow against Southampton. You have a group of players who are under a new coach who is far smarter than Mark Hughes, so there’s an extra level of intrigue there. We also have a very old defence that is so worrying, you’d have to imagine even Southampton will fancy their chances. We could be rolling out with Hector, Lichtsteiner, Monreal and Koscielny. Two of those haven’t rocked a 90minutes in a while.
It’ll be very interesting to see how Emery deals with that. Do we sit slightly deeper to avoid counters, or do we just play the way we have been all season and try and drop them in the second half after going a goal down? I’d imagine there will be a tactical consideration here, because it does feel like we’re very exposed.
There are some rumours that are being fueled by Auba’s Instagram that suggest we could counter the age issue at the back by fielding Zech Medley. The U23 defender came into the side midweek and impressed in the second half. It’s risky, but these young players need game time if they’re to progress, and there’s no better way to know if a player can handle the pressure other than utilising them in an emergency.
Mesut Ozil will be back in contention for the game after a being out for a few weeks with back spasms, so we’ll see if the coach fancies him in the first team so soon… I’d imagine he’ll be benched and eased back into the first team. Aaron Ramsey is available again, which is great news. I do wonder if he’ll continue to be benched. We all want him to play, but it doesn’t make sense to get the fans used to his presence if we’re going to try and bin him in 3 weeks time.
There’s also the big NLD game that’ll be on the players minds. Spurs in the league cup on Wednesday is technically not as important as Southampton, but it’s huge one for the fans. How hard is Emery planning on going for that game? Is his priority #top4… or a trophy at any cost? So many decisions to be made!
Finally, just a few other items I wanted to check off.
People bringing Ashley Cole into the Sterling row are desperately revising history. He was an absolute darling of Arsenal football club until he betrayed Arsene Wenger in a shady backroom deal with Mourinho which he claimed was accidental. His book quotes were an abomination and a total embarrassment even for a mollycoddled footballer. Factor in the countless PR gaffs he brought on himself… like cheating on his wife with a hairdresser.
“We started having sex then he just rolled over and vomited on the floor all over the cream carpet, it was disgusting.”
“He had some mouthwash then jumped back into bed. We started having sex again but his mates piled into the room.”
For most men, that’s game over, so I have to give him credit for plowing on and being a solutions-oriented kind of guy… however, when you’re married to the most famous woman in Britain, you really can’t complain about bad press, especially when you sell your wedding to gossip magazines for a £1m.
Oh, he also shot an intern with an air rifle from 5 feet.
ALSO: Pavon and De Ligt being linked to Arsenal. Unrealistic, but damn exciting regardless!
Right, enjoy the game, I’ll see you in the comments.
P.S. I ran into an original Le Grove commenter in a New York laundry yesterday. The world is a small place when you’re a gooner!
Arsenal literally introducing ‘No Defender December”
Wat wit all dis injuries
Auba is missing simple chances
Bamford will say I’m being dishonest with that assertion because the defender made a good tackle.
Beautiful touch from Mikhi again, he should do better now with Laca on.
Pierre I can’t say it’s influenced the score yet but the ref certainly has been shite
Rambo
According to Joe, we are going to beat Liverpool at Anfield. So no worries at all on that front.
The referee has been shite but we bailed him out earlier in the game because we chose to play with the advantage rather than put him on the spot.
Auba is making a habit of missing big chances. Missed 1v1 twice today.
Didn’t even make good contact.
Get it
Just attack these bluffers.
FKIN YESSSSS
Now put the game to bed
Goal!!
Mhki….lucky, Laca and a Iwobi
Guendouzi and Laca forced the error, good stuff
Southampton are worst team we’ve played this season in the league.
We have no business not getting all three points
Jammy. We’re going to win this. 1st half donkeys, 2nd half specialists.
How did Iwobi miss that?
Fucking rubbish. Iwobi’s shot wasn’t even close with all that time to shoot
Why didn’t Auba just take the shot?????
Laca is such a good player, gets everyone involved in the play unlike PEA. Even Auba looks more threatening playing alongside him than playing alone.
Mkhitaryan shoots from outside the box and scores on a deflection. That’s one thing Ozil never gives us. Mkhi also made a deft little flicked pass on to Auba on that previous play.
Why does this donkey even bother shooting
Auba should have taken that shot earlier
Poor finish from Iwobi
Oh my goodness?? We’re gonna blame Iwobi for Aubameyang letting Soton back in defensive action???
Iwobi showing his lack of quality.
And we are still in the game! Come on Arsenal!! Now let’s stop chasing the score and score one.
Iwobi should have scored there.
Boys. Give ’em back if the fucking ref doesn’t
Where did they get this ref? Sunday league?
Bamford – Spot on. Ozil would just spend the entire game feigning to shoot.
Laca comes on and makes us tick, Auba doesn’t have that effect
This referee is very poor
What’s his name again…sorry don’t want to know because he’s a nonentity. He’s not biased, he’s just useless.
If we started with Laca also we possibly wouldn’t have so much work to do in the 2nd half usually
Actually Ozil needs to come on for Iwobi
…ASAP
The ref. The go to place for a loser.
Lichsteiner needs to calm the fu*k up. He’s going to get a yellow card again for dissent.
What role is Iwobi playing?
That second mikki goal was a Frank lampard special loool
“What role is Iwobi playing?”
Useless?
Laca starts over Auba, it’s a no brained, forget the tap ins, we need more dynamic hold up play
Koz
Leno looking less like the real deal every game now. Looks like a blond Fabianski.
Kos is rusty but clearly done in the new system .
How’s that a yellow??? Fucking ell
Rambo
Know what I mean though? He’s picking the ball up from the defence…on the wings, running about up front. He’s like a 4 year old.
You get the feeling this Kos won’t get many more prem games this season
Koscielny you clumsy twat.
Dale
Except that what you and TR7 miss is that with only Lacazettte on, we have no threat in behind. So everything we do is in front of the back four and rather toothless.
The truth is that both Lacazette and Aubameyang are slightly incomplete strikers. Lacazette offers better linking and hold-up play than Aubameyang, but Aubameyang offers the length and pace that Lacazette lacks. This is why I have long said they should be deployed together, as complementary central strikers.
Rambo Ramsey what’s your name gona be next season?
Guns
The defensive uncertainty are affecting Leno. He’s no flappianski, your knob
Goddam this rebuild looks like it’s going to cost upwards of £500m.
I’d say there are four players who would make it to my new squad…no more.
Diss
What about my knob?
Well Bamford, that’s what I mean, pointless leaving either one of them off when our best chance of scoring is both
Oh great, here comes Long.
“Rambo Ramsey what’s your name gona be next season?”
Ramsey-is-gone. 😊😊😊😊
Long and Austin are two C grade strikers who have joy against us. Can’t afford to gift silly chances.
Kos looks like he’s been on the mulled wine. That was eboue like incompetence.
Shane Long and Koscielny
A marriage made in heaven.
Why the fuck is Iwobi loitering around mid field?
Go up there and earn your wages.
Pass fucking properly too.
Redmond is being made to look like Roberto Carlos, thanks to this shambolic defence.
Honestly with our attack we should be well away with this…
Kos isn’t ready…. fuck me, training since August and he’s no where near ready
Long Austin or Austin long. Both great porn names.
Iwobi needs to come off quickly
What’s Emery doing?
Waiting fir the 67th minute?
Dale,
Maybe I’ll keep the same. Tribute to player who scored the winner in two out of our three FA cups
We cannot string a pass together.
I think we need to score 4 today to get all 3 points.
Considering Southampton is a port town…there are lots of oddities in the stadium. Funny looking bunch.
Ozil coming on for Iwobi it appears
Why Auba didn’t take a shot. Keeper wasn’t exactly back.
Mkhi and Iwobi are useless. Our only creative threat is coming from Laca.
Iwobi is Ade Akinbye. But on more money.
Kos is a cup player at most now.
A world class forward would have lobbed the keeper. Auba was soooo slow.
Ozil, the stage is yours lad.
Earn your salary ozil
DO IT
Come on Mesut show us what you can do.
Nasty challenge
Lichtsteiner is a diving pussy.
Ozil just handed his PS4 controller to Reiss Nelson…he’s on the last level of Fortnight.
Iwobi off thank goodness, we can read about another “useless “ player here instead of Iwobi… Mhki still on, He’ll Share …….they’re hurting our defenders
Bamford10
Agree on Mkhitaryan’s willingness to shoot. Good quality. Our only #10 that can shoot well from distance.
Iwobi vs Ade Akinbye???
Guns
You local weed dealer has laced your daily dose with turpentine
Why doesn’t Monreal move to LB and Xhara moves back to MF.
So’ton got away for too long.
C’mon. We have more than enough firepower to punish them.
Diss
Actually I lace my turps with weed.
This playing out the back is so frustrating to watch it’s done at such a slow pace and then all of a sudden someone hoofs its to the opposition player.
Lol at Ozil!
Let’s be ruthless. Pass to mates is fine is we are 3 up.
AMN on for Licht who limped off.
Why do the officials still check studs? Seriously! Back in whenever…Sunday league players did sharpen their studs but I hardly think pros would. Waste of time.
I want to see Özil step it up. A draw isn’t good enough we need to win this. A defence splitting assist would be suitable retort to his detractors.
Ozil is all hunch
Emery’s got us playing like a midtable side. He was playing this way without injuries as well.
No Ramsey on the pitch today at all?!?!
I’m afraid Unai is not the right man for the job. Shame it had to end this way
Our defenders just want Christmas off
Lichtsteiner is such a bag of anger lol
Time wasting anyway
Offside.
Fuck off.
Wake the fuck up.
Fantastic Leno!
Good call by the lineslady. Lucky arsenal.
Long is another one from the Iwobi school of running with mouth open
I’d kiss Massey if it was ok
That was a great save from Leno
Point blank
The defense was late to react
Lucky escape
Southamptons pub forwards are tearing us a new one. Embarrassing.