Hitting you with some super short contenting today, because I’m flying out, and Arsenal are dropping a 2pm kickoff.
Injury news is mixed. Ramsey, Xhaka and Laurent are all in contention.
We’re going to need all the experience and help we can leverage today. This really is the start of a hugely important group of games. If we lose to 10th placed Everton, suddenly that Europa League game on Thursday against Napoli doesn’t look as winnable.
We have momentum on our side though, so let’s not panic too much. The problem we have is that away form hasn’t been our best friend this season. Losing games away at Rennes, West Ham and BATE weigh heavy on the mind. However, worth noting that Emery has changed things up lately, he’s brought his better players in from the cold, he’s taken them somewhere warm to rest their minds and the team is playing with far more swagger than they have done in 6 months.
Defence is crucial, we need player of the month Bernd Leno to continue bossing things from the base, we need to try desperately to avoid putting Mustafi under any sort of pressure and we need to cross out fingers.
The most notable change for me has been the early goals. Not really something you can attribute to a specific idea, because I’m sure early goals is always on the agenda… but, it’s better than conceding early, which was certainly something that worked against us in the front half of last season.
BIG GAME. The start of a tough run of matches where the coach is going to have to make some tough decisions. Rotation is going to important, player fitness is crucial, and focus will be essential. Tired minds are just as dangerous as tired legs. The manager needs to balance carrot and stick if we’re delivering an epic 3rd place this season.
Right, that’s me done, enjoy that game and PLEASE do not lavish too much praise on me for this HUGE post… xxx
Wtf is going on in here? What has some of our players being Muslim got to do with anything? Terrible performance today based on an awful resm selection. Today we should have fielded our strongest side to keep the winning momentum going and rotated for the yoghurt pot on Spursday night. Ramsey was carrying an injury from the last game though apparently so I could see the sense in him being on the bench, but with Xhaka injured too and Torreira suspended we didn’t have many options. Guendouzi had one of his frustrating games today; is it only me who… Read more »
it’s a way some of the people coping by shitposting ridiculous stuff to rile up the soy-latte drinking SJWs in here
it’s the [CURRENT YEAR] after all we can’t escape those stuff anymore
So Torreira will be back and I assume we are going for him and Xhaka anchoring with Ramsey going box-to-box while Ozil further up ahead working on those spaces?
Koscielny will be back too I presume?
Don’t care about PL no more looking at how we can’t perform at all in these away matches.
Just go all in for Europa at least that will be two-legged where we can nick important away goals even in defeat. Then just rely on home performance to finish off the tie.
Sry sal but Ozil was 1/10 in this game> I was big fan of his but he regressed so much at Arsenal its unreal. Who do u think should change a games for us if not Ozil? He is now just plain lazy and so easy to knock of the ball is laughable. Apart from Laca no one cares. Ramsey play for himself. Blame Emery because that’s what Pedro pushes those days lol. Lets see what next guy will do with this bunch. Ah and sell Laca or Auba . Sick of this club and stupid fans. Good that I… Read more »
Sure you do, Don.
Every here knows you take your herd on a Ryanair flight to the costa del sol.
Un na
“With my American Express points I qualify for 4 weeks holidays with first class flights every single year. I don’t need to afford Dubai. I’d get it for free. Perks….”
Sounds fishy mate’
That doesn’t make sense
4 week vacation with first class on Amex points???
Ozil showed more passion on bench compared to the 70 mins he played for
Hello Bd. ( arsenals favourite Bristolian) Another Emery horror show- i am afraid to say. His Achilles heel – over complicating matters – when there is no need- costs us again I doubt- he will ever learn. All week- we see him on the training ground- clipboard in hand- barking out orders- trying to look the part. All that hard work and coaching is then completely nullified- because he selects the hapless Elneny. Surprise, surprise he gets hooked at half time… Elneny signed on for 4 more years pre – season. After today’s horror show- it looks like we are… Read more »
Unnai and cronies You folks ever set foot outside of your little towns? You know the world is changing right? 2019 not 1919. Time to wake the fuck up. This blog for whatever reason, has a number of folks on here that take no issue in insulting players race or religion. Nothing but bigotry… and there is no way they can rationalize that. They posit stupid arguments, links to shit websites, to further their narrative. They fight hard against anything that sounds like equality or acceptance. They will discriminate against our own Arsenal players and they call themselves fans? A… Read more »
Don
“xakha passing between the lines”
It’s Xhaka, and he rarely passes between the lines. His passing is largely horizontal, not vertical. His passing has a value to it — he helps us keep possession and he helps us switch the point of attack — but he rarely passes through the lines and he has little to nothing to do with our playing “on the break,” as you’ve suggested.
You jackasses think Pete is going to bin a half-senile pensioner like CG, when he allows free reign to alt-right trash like Hackney (who was briefly binned for threatening another member’s life) and whoever that other creep is who named himself after a shitty teenaged girl anime character. You want Pete to clean up this place? First, find out the name of the agency he works for (easily found via google search). Then, if you’re clever, find out which clients he works with. Then, again, if you’re clever (hint: LinkedIn), find out who his superiors at his agency are. Then,… Read more »
Evening CG, it’s been a while. Was very quiet here without you. Yes Emery got it wrong today no doubt, largely because he has his eye on the Europa league this Thursday which I think.was a big mistake. Take one game at a time and keep the momentum going – a win at Everton today would have been hugely beneficial for our top 4 aspirations and moral and our momentum going into Thursday’s game. Now instead of going into that game 3rd in the table above the spuds with confidence sky high, we could find ourselves 5th going into Thursday… Read more »
I’ve been left fairly amazed that a regular on Le Grove can so casually mention something like what he did, then you have others putting their pennies worth in. Of course they aren’t racist how can they be?! , “Islam ain’a religion is it”… it’s a free for all when it comes to them. Pedro for 10+ years you have worked hard in bringing a cross section of views, which has been the reason why so many get hooked on this blog. But it just seems like when it comes to a certain religion its almost rude not to make… Read more »
Pedro
What happened mate ?
This used to be an excellent blog. Now it’s turned into a Tommy Robinson blog.
Away to Watford next who will be on a high after their epic comeback victory against Wolves today couldn’t be a worse fixture, and with away games at Leicester, Wolves and our last game of the season away at Burnley we could end up 6th again. I know Chelsea, Spuds and Utd have tough games too and will drop points, but I just don’t trust us to capitalise on it – more like capitulate. Maybe I’m still suffering with the effects of years of end of season Wenger capitulation when it matters most but most of the squad are still… Read more »
That was fucking dreadful today. Dreadful.
lol Cutter. What Pedro has done to you in real life?
We all know that there is an agenda against Ozil on this site. This setup is doom to fail . – Kola is the biggest culprit. He was day dreaming when Everton flew the ball into play. Everyone moved up except him. Even after they headed the ball towards him, he let the ball hit his leg and then bounded the ball to an Everton player. He had no energy driving forward. His only cross reached the fan’s seat. – This midfield was so bad that they couldn’t advance the ball past midfield. In the first half, you saw Ozil… Read more »
I don’t think that the tactic were wrong today. What was wrong was the personnel for the tactic employed. Elneny is never to give any forward impetus. No chance of him running forward with the ball committing Everton midfielder and opening space for teammates. Özil had to fetch the ball from our CB, way too deep to make any inroad. Mhikitarian is not a winger, so instead of stretching the defense we play a very narrow game easy to defend against. Also Mhikitarian who was truly awful had no connection with Kolasinac. I am not sure he knew Kolasinac was… Read more »
“That’s because if I give them one whiff of my arse hole they crawl right in there” “Don’t worry about me. I wouldn’t step foot in the shit hole I smoke in Ramadan, drink swear and shag like a sailor. Shove Dubai.” All at the same time like multitasking? No end to your talents. Shag like a sailor? So Un do you have Swallow tattoos that mark your preference and are you familiar with the ‘golden rivet’ that one often reads about regarding seamen/sailors in journals etc? Learn something new every day Un! You never struck me as the type… Read more »
gotta speak up when confronted with prejudice…
Ive seen that poster on here before and seemed ok but today was too much.
He is a dipshit bigot… ill be skipping over all of his posts henceforth.
Pete- you gotta seriously clean this shit up… by doing nothing you are silently condoning this shit. Bin em or do something about it.
Players suck- no matter what their religions are. No need to cross that line
Wonder what Ramsey Rambo would think if his hero heard his comments…
SMH
pathetic
Guns of SF
Take no notice of Rambo he’s probably an ISIS bride and keeping up his cover much to the relief of the odd suffering camel.
Alex C
“Shouldn’t take long before Pete has to choose between having a real job, and wasting his time (and career) hosting a third-rate blog that covers a second-rate team.”
And yet you post here or maybe not for much longer when Pedro reads your post suggestions.
Perhaps you should start your own blog and show us how it should be done.
Benny
“He’s got zero pace or urgency and runs about like a fucking giraffe on a bouncy castle.”
Brilliantly funny analogy!
Alex with the throw down
Tony how are ya man
Thanks for the well wishes yesterday. Judging from my Interventionist and cardiologists’ post procedures’ comments this morning I should be around for another decade or so. I’ll be out of ICU by lunchtime and just a day or so of follow up tests then allowed home. No doubt there will be some here who are not happy with this news, but living to fight another day or hopefully decade feels good to me and my family. I had a quintuple bypass 29 years ago in Holland and a further 3 stents and multiple balloon work in the last 9 years… Read more »
Doing really good this morning thanks Guns.
I was gonna add my two cents about the match today… but I can tell todays comments have completely derailed the comment section and to be honest don’t really care to be associated with anything mentioned. No idea why people want to discuss controversial or inflammatory comments involving religion and or politics when we have so much other stuff we can comment about regarding the actual purpose of this blog after an important match.. but it seems like losing brings out all the worst in people. I watch Arsenal and Sports in general to escape that bullshit not talk about… Read more »
We were absent physically and mentally at Goodison today. Thank goodness we are playing Napoli at home because we are nowhere near where we need to be. Mentally we are too weak away from home. Where is the willingness to press and the fight to take the game to the opposition? The team we put out should have been good enough to beat, we conceded the game from the first minute. “The tough get going when the going gets tough.” is one slogan that you couldn’t say applies to us. We couldn’t handle the pressure. I know people will disagree… Read more »
Tony my 75 yr old dad has 9 stents currently
Heart attack at age 34
fortunately I seem ok so far
Had no idea you were in icu but all the best friend
TonyApril 8, 2019 02:03:12
Benny
“He’s got zero pace or urgency and runs about like a fucking giraffe on a bouncy castle.”
Brilliantly funny analogy!
>>>>
Lol! Thanks Tony; glad somebody other than myself found it funny!
Good to see you’ll be with us for many more years to come.
There is one more thing that is unforgivable. Anyone following the team should know that Mikki is a much better player on the right and Iwobi has good chemistry with Kola on the left. Why do we play Mikki on the left and bench Iwobi? Mikki didn’t do anything the whole first half as if he was trying to figure out where he is.
Midwest I agree with you but sometimes it’s not easy to not engage some of the idiots here, as you recently experienced by expressing your views. Religion, politics and race topics should be banned from this blog. Football is multicultural and should always be free of racism, political influence and just as important: corruption. Where would football be without the Mbapes, Zindans of today and the past? This should apply to all sports, but I only really follow international rugby and more importantly Arsenal for 53 years. Sadly the last 12 years of Wenger/Gazidis, the aftermath of such mismanagement on… Read more »
Guns 9 Stents, that’s unreal. My problem is that my body makes too much cholesterol, which has now been determined to be a known disease but mostly hereditary. I’d advise everyone to have private full check ups once a year. In Thailand it only costs around £80 for full blood checks, ECG, ultrasound etc. Small price to pay for most people. I have my full blood work checked every 2 months @ £40 a time. Prevention being better than cure is why I ended up with my current surgery because we caught the problem very early and therefore the surgery… Read more »
im 46 tony and know that the body does indeed slow down… up until age 37-38 felt invincible. no worries about anything… hit 40 and things begin to slowly slow down.
sucks but such is life.
I have a 12 and 8 year old who depend on me so much so I know that need to take care of ones self.
my boy dreams of playing for Arsenal some day. A winger or number 8 or 10
I hope he fulfills his dreams! Little skinny lad, but who knows what can happen
Sums yesterday’s perfectly. Arsenal were pitifully indifferent on the pitch in Everton loss while Unai Emery made bizarre judgements on the sidelines… it was a performance that shows how far they have fallen Arsenal slumped to a 1-0 defeat at Everton on Sunday in blow to top four hopes The Gunners were a shadow of their best during an indifferent performance Mesut Ozil’s sloppy first-half display at Goodison Park was symptomatic Manager Unai Emery meanwhile made a series of baffling tactical decisions Performances like this risk the club missing out on the Champions League https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6895973/Arsenals-pitiful-indifference-embodied-Mesut-Ozil-abysmal-display-Everton.html Can we regroup and Emery… Read more »
normally I try to defend the team after a defeat but we were dog shit last night. Terrible terrible performance. Leno kept the scoreline respectable or else we would have lost 4 – nil. Back to the drawing board it is. El neny was a waste of space. Will be nice to have torr back for the next game.
Torreira has had plenty of rest…. will need him full speed for the run in. Im slightly ( ok a lot) worried about the lack of Sokratis the next 2 games. He is our best defender and was today as well… Its going to have to be Kos or ??? (Mavro?) Monreal needs to move on… the guy barely gets back in time to keep up with the pace of the younger strikers. Also, cannot use that right leg whatsoever. Team needs to really re tool the defense…. Kos, Mustafi, Monreal all need to move on… Keep Sok, but he… Read more »
Guns I think 40 is a pivotal year that has a stigma attached from decades past. Hit 40 and you’re middle aged……… The slowing down is a mindset thing I found and easily changed once you figure it out. Metabolisms do slow and bone density begins to slowly deteriorate. Using weight training can stop or greatly reduce bone density loss and cardio and diet/nutrition can increase metabolism. I left corporate life in my mid 40s to start my own businesses. From then on I was in full flow and always hit the gym where ever I was in the world… Read more »
Guns
I meant to add that I often hear people say 60 is the new 40 and that makes a lot of sense to me.
Tony
I’m in agreement.
Still very much on the fence regards Emery. Can’t understand what exactly he was trying to do yesterday.
The players were pityful. Won’t get top 4 if they put in more performances like that. As for Napoli, must have at least two goal cushion from first leg if we are going to progress.
What’s your input on creatine as a supplement? Is it safe?
For a while, because of injury, Wenger tried to Pires on the right wing. It was a disaster. Pires explained that despite being a right footer, he had no sense of space when played on that side of the pitch. The experiment did not last very long. Why does Emery keep trying the same experiment with Mhikitarian? He should know by now that Mhikitarian can’t play on the left. Every single one of his worst outing have been when asked to play on the left. The worst is that by playing him there we lose two players. Kolasinac need somebody… Read more »
Dissenter
That’s what I’m told. It’s my first year on American Express. If we use £200k per year then that’s what we get.
£120k per year is economy and 12 nights at any of their selected hotels/resorts
£160k is upper class
£200k first class
Don still hanging on to his fictitious frequent flyer perks.
He’ll be in Magaluf this summer ordering a fry-up and a pint.
Tony Er, what? I really don’t care that a player is Muslim Christian or jewish to tell you the truth. One of my favourite players of all time is Muslims so reign it in. Xakha for me is one of my favoured players of our current crop and his religion doesn’t come into it . It’s purely coincidental that all of the players Rambo mentioned our underperforming and are Muslim. On Dubai. I stand by what I said. I merely pointed out their backwards laws which feeds into their culture so for those reasons I have zero intention of ever… Read more »
Jamie
What’s wrong with magaluf? I was king of the place 10 years ago.
No amount of food insinuating I’m broke wooo change the backwards laws in Dubai though…..nice try.
I bet you were, Don. Clicking your fingers in an ‘English Pub’ shouting out for “dos bierros por favor” with all the other sunburned, St George’s Cross-tattooed reprobates.
Tony
I’d never heard of the golden rivet no. Just looked it up. It’s like tartan paint, skirting ladders and sky hooks….
Jamie
Nope. Why would I attempt Spanish when all the staff were English? You’ve led a sheltered life haven’t you?
We’ve been through my love for travel on here previously. You just have missed while you were dying your hair pink, shoving more metal through your nose and making your free Palestine posters.
As fate would have it, I’m actually helping a Muslim lad with his training this morning. With a view to further employment. Such a Nazi
Don,
You detailed your ‘travel experiences’ here like you detailed your ownership of an Amex with frequent flyer perks. At the first sign of scrutiny, a quick back track from ‘I get these perks every year’ to ‘I just got an Amex and I’ll get perks this year if I spend x amount of money’.
You’re full of it, mate. Get back in your white van and berate Eastern Europeans for being more able tradesmen than you, nicking all your work from under your nose. Don’t worry, son. It’ll all be better after Brexit, am I right?
Funny Un.
It’s the eyelet for rope that secured canons on the galleons I believe.
And Jamie, hate to break it to you but I come from a family of immigrants…
Is that the sound of your balloon deflating…
Tony
I read that it’s a prank on the freshies
Go in search of the golden rivet. Like telling a new apprentice to go and find the tartan paint.
Jamie
I make more money on cheaper Eastern European’s…..haha
Don really scraping the barrel here with his “I can’t be racist, I have black friends” routine. Embarrassingly transparent.
elneny and guen really really poor….elneny would not get a place on the everton bench
On the American Express
I’ve only just signed up with it so I’m new to it but that’s what I’m told. Why al the hate? Build bridges not walls eh? That pink hair dye is messing with your brain sweet heart. Making you angry.
None of this changes the fact that Dubai implements draconian laws, fit for the medieval era, not 2019.
Next…..
Jamie
Are you saying that criticism of bad laws is racist?
That’s what I thought, no first class holidays anywhere, just memories of tearing it up on bar street in Magaluf. No one here would’ve guessed..
Un,
Why bother. Just grab some popcorn and see the so called Liberals drown in their hypocrisies.
I see that Tiny D is back to narrating his life story. Wife and children left your bedside in your sickness, old man? That why you’re desperately trying to drum up convos with random strangers in this time?
Jamie
Went to New York first class actually. Most people never fly first class in their lives. It won’t be my last time I can assure you.
Graham My main go to guy for body building is Will Brinks who is a science based trainer and whose e-book Body Building Revealed is very good. His no frill video blog The Brinkzone can also be interesting. The below link is from the book on creatine. I never used creatine and I believe too much can be harmful to kidneys. It should be used in cycles. Also, it has to be dissolved in warm water for full absorption or your body just passes it through without absorbing it. Most people just waste it. https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/willbrink17_full.pdf Have a read of this… Read more »
Rambo
I hear you but I can’t let Janie get away with such rubbish. Dubai implements draconian laws and arrests people over expressing basic freedoms that are allowed anywhere else in the world but that region.
I mean, a rape victim needs 4 Male witnesses and he’s talking this place up like Shangri La
Of course you did, Don. Of course you did. You used your frequent flyer points, we read that already. Except you didn’t because you don’t have any points. We read that part too.
Keep it up.
I’m still baffled, no one at the club spoke to emery about the repercussions if sok gets a yellow. He should have started Mustafi and kos or MaV or even monreal at CB with kola at LB.
I refuse to believe the manager played Sok knowing full well that he could miss the next 2 crucial games.
I often defends Emery, but his starting line up for yesterday’s game….
It’s simply unforgivable, an unbelievable mistake from you, Mr Unai.
One entire half to realize that Elneny is worse than shit… bravo!!
Highbury Leg
Its good- you are not being sycophantic today.
The selection of Elneny over other options in yesterday’s vital fixture was unforgivable and 100% verifies my criticism of Emery- that he is not simply good enough for Arsenal
Mark my words..
Emery will always let you down- when it really matters.
He is a sub standard coach.
As he proved yesterday
And If Ozil did toss his jacket at Emery- it also illustrates top players do not respect him.
Did Emery also not notice- that the 35 year Jagielka came into the Everton team at the last moment as replacement for the much younger Keane..?
Surely Everton were vulnerable early on
.
So why have 2 pondering holding midfielders instead of the the forward running power of Ramsey and PeA goal scoring ability.
Emerys Europa Cup fixation- could be very costly towards Arsenal future wellbeing.
If you choose a Europa Cup specialist don’t be surprised- he favours that…
But is at a huge risk.
Jamie
No dumb dumb. I didn’t use frequent flyer. I was given a free upgrade haaaactually
Un battle angel April 7, 2019 21:06:10 Oh and Jamie With my American Express points I qualify for 4 weeks holidays with first class flights every single year. I don’t need to afford Dubai. I’d get it for free. Perks…. Un battle angel April 8, 2019 07:54:57 On the American Express I’ve only just signed up with it so I’m new to it but that’s what I’m told. Un battle angel April 8, 2019 08:03:16 Jamie Went to New York first class actually. Most people never fly first class in their lives. It won’t be my last time I can… Read more »
New post.
The reason why Elneny, Mhikitarian were playing and Lichsteiner was on the bench is clearly because of the Napoli game. However that is not the mistake, the mistake is not having properly bed young players earlier who could have taken their place. With Koscielny injured or reduced workload, and Mavrapanos ineligible for Europa League, today would have been the perfect time to keep Sokratis out of the yellow card danger zone. Now as Emery does not intend to play Mavrapanos in the premiership, we will have to play two games with Mustafi and Monreal as CB and/or hope that Koscielny… Read more »
Un battle
Lived and worked in the Middle East from 1984-2001.
Respect the laws, rules and beliefs. That’s what it’s all about.
We need draconian laws in this country to counter the disrespectful wankers that we all see walking the streets.
We have no law and order, hence the growing levels of crime.
Bring back CP.
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