Via @Arsenal Instagram
I don’t really abide by the winning ugly notion. It’s often used to explain away consistently poor performances that are often a precursor to a dip. However, yesterday’s win over Watford was the most delicious ugly win of the season. Emery proved his mettle, he lined up with a strong side, the aggressive working mentality he’s brought to the team won the first goal, and we held out for our first away clean sheet of the season (felt like our first away win of the season if I’m honest).
Troy Deeney, a man famed for beating up students, did his teams preparation no favours when he threw out a cowardly elbow at the smallest player on our team and took a straight red card. That was a fucking bold decision for the ref to take and in a world of weak decision making, he needs to be commended and give a WH Smith voucher for good service… OR A KNIGHTHOOD.
We didn’t really take advantage of the ten men. Watford showed us that they were still in the game. It didn’t matter though, because lady luck was on our side and grit/determination paid out big.
The first goal came from Auba, he chased down a back pass aggressively and Ben Foster smashed the ball into his heel and the goal was his. You cannot knock that attitude. He has been such a good player for us. He’s clinical even when he’s not looking.
We rode our luck a little. Bernd Leno continued to prove one of the shrewdest signings of last summer. His wrists are rock solid, his reflexes are cat-like and his timing when rushing players gets better and better. He was a real lifesaver last night. It’s been well over ten years since we had a keeper worth net+ points. I love him. It’s a huge risk to buy a keeper on a downward spiral, it’s such a confidence position, but Sven M dropped a world class decision there.
I think it’s worth giving Mustafi a shout out. Always a huge risk at the back, but his aerial aggression kept us in it late. Whatever you think about the German, he’s an absolute athlete and he loves the fight.
Also… AMN, my man… that tracking late on to deny Andre Gray late on was exceptional defending. He really has grown into his position. I didn’t have faith he could be a good right back, I know the club rated him as a midfielder, but my oh my, he has excelled. We don’t need to go into the market there this summer, that’s for sure.
So two things we learned last night. Away form is in the head. We have the players, the performance was rough last night, but we delivered the three points. Now we have build from that and do it against Napoli on Thursday and then the really tough one… Wolves next Wednesday.
The second thing we learned is this team, under Emery, can deal with pressure. An Arsene Wenger side would have collapsed under the barrage of yesterday. Our boys didn’t. Everyone put in a shift, even if the performance was grim.
A good day to be an Arsenal fan… we’re in the mix, keeping up the pressure, onto the next!
x
Don
I thought Jews prayed in synagogues not churches ??
Dissenter
He’s buying into the company line. The 2 jobs he thought he was going to leave for in the summer have gone so now he’s paving the ground for the Spud’s selling off a bunch of players to finance the stadium debt.
It’s a crying shame the Ajax team you will see next season will be a shadow of the team out there
What a game this
The last time a young team this exciting emerged in the CL [Monaco in 2017] it was Juventus that dumped them out.
Hoping history doesn’t repeat itself.
Un
That’s been the whole problem – anyone who questioned any level of immigration or showed a level of nationalism got labelled as a racist.
We’ve already seen the consequences with the election of Trump, the BREXIT referendum and it won’t stop there.
Another one for Barca
Cardiff 2 nil up. Brighton are really trying to make their fans sweat.
Cardiff may have Liverpool at the weekend but Brighton have Wolves.
Cardiff two up against Brighton
Can’t see Barca not scoring at least one more.
Bamford where are you?
I can’t stress how enjoyable this Ajax game is
Unbelievable from Pjanic there, looked to be a certain goal.
I’m not sure ole is still on the wheel anymore… oh, I remember wolves stole the wheel
Completely agree, Marko. This is quality knock-out football. This Ajax team are awesome.
Fucking Ziyech.
Rashford and Martial remind me a bit of Auba and Lacazette in terms of being highly rated to the point where people just think they should be lumped in whenever – regardless of circumstance – yet their actual ability(individually and in terms of combining) does not warrant it.
None of them are near the likes of Salah, Mane, Sterling, Aguero, or in-form Sane.
dd
I think they nicked more than 1!
Totally deserved
Get in De Ligt
Would be amazing for football this.
haha… Ajax!!!
I really hope we get involved in the Ajax fire sale this summer. Some absolutely delightful players on show
Ajex is leading 2 – 1. Bad news. If the Spuds gets through MC, they could advance to the final.
So Juve have to score 2 and without getting caught on the break.
Stage is set for CR7.
@Marc
You know there is this thing called “auto correct”. If you would have been smart you would have understood what I meant but since you are a bit dim I’ll make it clear so even you can understand.
You used the “My mailman is black” argument. You’re saying you can’t be anti-semic because you worked for a jewish owned company. Terrible argument really.
2 kids from Ajax…… Any position…. I am okay with it, not being choosy here.
Ziyech has been sloppy all night.
Ajex is leading 2 – 1. Bad news. If the Spuds gets through MC, they could advance to the final.
My hole. This team dispatches Real and Juve and then Spurs are favourites? Nah not for me
Marko
they do!! But as well as Jews being targeted so are Christian churches. That’s an astronomical nimber of vandalised churches
Marc
Agree.
West is getting more and more divided. Multi culturalism and Marxist university lecturers are doing their bit
De Ligt is going to be colossal for whoever’s lucky enough to snag him.
have ajax just done the impossible??? can ronaldo score a brace in 20mins today??? this is what happens when you are over reliant on a particular player… alegri for me is fucking average… or little above average, or maybe a little below average, well all I know is that there is something average about alegri. his style of football is so lame, no expression from the players, no free flowing football, not attacking football except when they have their back against the wall like against Madrid in the second leg. allegri won’t win the champions league except he has messi… Read more »
come on… could have wrapped it there.
Don I’m not talking to you fuck off trying to educate me on anything you horrible cunt
Thomas
If I was anti-Semitic I wouldn’t have worked for them. This wasn’t some hundreds on millions a year turn over company, it was a family owned business and I worked alongside over half a dozen members of the family every day.
I’m still waiting for you or anyone else to prove that I’ve ever said anything anti-Semitic on here.
Again if I’m the dim one fucking prove what you say?
Marko
It’s a loot easier for Spuds to beat Ajax , than for Spuds to beat Juventus.
That said, City will beat Spuds tonight, with Harry Kane they may have stood a chance.
Even if ajax beat juventus.
No way they win cl faaar to wasteful amd inexperienced. Should have scored 5 if npt for some bizarre last minute poor decision making.
Marc
I never proclaimed Solskjaer a “genius,” mate. I said that based on what I’ve seen from him so far, I think he’s an excellent manager. That is all. However, Barcelona are still Barcelona, Messi is still Messi, and United have a long way to go be anywhere near a Barcelona.
Here comes Sanchez to save the day.
Fuck sake offside.
Bamford
I’m winding you up mate – chill.
scenes here
It’s a loot easier for Spuds to beat Ajax , than for Spuds to beat Juventus.
Alot easier for Ajax to beat Spurs than it is against City. Or Real or Juve for that matter
Dutch football is back after a brief hiatus
OGS has a long way to go before he’s an excellent manager
Cardiff win 2 – 0 what are the odds Chris Hughton gets the bullet or resigns before he’s pushed?
Just fucking hope it’s not before our match.
TR7April 16, 2019 18:53:11 PhD No,not much to be honest. If we don’t get top 4, I expect very limited spending in the summer. If we get top 4, may be we will go out and spend some money to improve our team marginally but I don’t expect any big changes directionally. Looks like slogging for top 4 is what AFC will be reduced to in the foreseeable future. ——————- To be fair,once we left the Emirates,top 4 was always the target-the agenda. The overall bar set in place..Nothing has changed since then, nor will it do, under the current… Read more »
Sanchez almost headed in a goal.
Ooooh looked a handball that.
Champagne CharlieApril 16, 2019 20:01:34
“For those who said messi was average and no longer wc LOL“
——
What bright spark made this comment?
that was an important decision wasn’t it?
PhD
There was a big argument months ago. Can’t remember who started the Messi was average line.
if juve want to succeed with ronaldo at their team, all they just need to do is go to Madrid and ask for the release clause for Marcelo and benzema… and bang the champions league is thiers next season…
I guess by next season, the juve fans would have grown tired of winning the serie A… I have a feeling come 2 season from now if allegri doesn’t win the champions league he would be fed up at juve
Allegri cannot buy a champions league. This was his season I think
That’s it.
Fantastic from Ajax.
question… how well do you rate allegri
This Ajax squad is about to get the same treatment Monaco got.
Allegri was supposed to be this genius of a manager but he fell to an excellent Ajax team, same way Emery’s PSG fell to an excellent Monaco team in Ligue un.
Un na naai Is definitely on the opioids,or some Columbian marching powder.I’ve never heard a kid,talk so much gibberish consistently.Sounds like gaga,gaga,gaga all the time. With no ability to comprehend basic information.Geez, remedial classes are certainly beyond you. I was willing to give you a pass.But ,for sure Bumford was right about you-you are a dipshit.A thick dipshit who certainly has not evolved as a human being,even in 2019. Sigh.. PS You never answered before-thought you were Jewish before,not Irish Catholic as you proclaimed yesterday?Not that it matters,but seems there is some inconsistency as to your identity?Or do you suffer… Read more »
Marc… I think it was Pierre. was the argument broke out about the quality of ozil and he said something like…. ozil was an elite footballer just like messi and co. and that he doesn’t see messi tracking back at barca like the way emery want ozil to track back at arsenal… and that messi only light the world up when the ball is on his feet, not when he’s making tackles. and I remember a poster responding to Pierre that… messi would score 40goals a season even if he plays as a left back. sometimes, I just wonder how… Read more »
Allegri, another le grove favourite, 100s millions spent, has bottled it big time!
Well done Ajax
Await,the rapid incoherent verbal fire..
Brilliant
when the argument broke out…
fucking autocorrect
PhD
It’s funny. You make outlandish comments without ever backing them up. You’re just a kid sitting around on puff. You put so much effort into your comments appearing to be smart and well thought out, you can actually see it. Visibly. Alas, you fail.
So either elaborate or go back to being just another scruffy student among the millions who go on to a dull and dreary existence, probably teaching, like your hero bam ford
Marko
I forgot. You’re Irish. No point trying to teach you anything. A country who lives off eu and uk subsidies.
Emery’s PSG did thrash Monaco in both Domestic Cups 5-0 and 4-1 in 2016-17 .
I don’t think the spuds city game is a forgone conclusion.
They still have Son and when that guy is in form he is in a similar league to Kane except he has pace.
I’m not Jewish. And I’m not Irish phd. Never once said I was Jewish. There’s some element of truth in there but you’ve got muddled
that moment when you realised someone preferred allegri to emery, thinking he had so much sauce….
have you watched juvetus serie A matches…. I could bet my balls of steel that you are going to see the doctor the following morning for eye check-up after watching some ugly football by alegri and co.
juve just only know how to play ugly because they believe they have the best defence in the world.
What’s going on with Brighton
They are losing their winnable must win games at home against relegation rivals.
That’s like losing two six-pointers back to back
Surely they have stopped playing for Mr Houghton
Does it really matter on here whether some is Jewish, Catholic, Black, White, Gay, Straight or Muslim?
As long as they’re not scouse or lefty scum it shouldn’t matter.
John Stones backs Manchester City to win Premier League and Champions League: ‘”We’re still on for the Quadruple and that’s the dream”
This lad is not very bright or Pep didn’t send him the memo
You’re not supposed to talk about these types of goals when the manager is trying desperately to downplay it.
Un the amoeba doesn’t have a nationality apparently.
Marc
My bad. I get so much grief here at times, I never know. Cheers.
how in hell did messi survive that stupid tackle from young before scoring the first goal of the match…
young is the worst lb in the world @33
Messi really gave Phil Jones a lesson to remember
He turned him around so many times, in so many ways today that his bandages opened up.
Bamford
You shouldn’t apologise I’ll be taking the piss out of something else in 10 minutes!
Were you watching BT Dissenter?
They literally used that line.
dd
I’ve said before Young is a fucking disgrace of a footballer. At the home match with ManU was chatting to a guy who sits a few seats away and said I’d like to see his suffer a bad leg break. He told me that was awful you shouldn’t wish that on anyone – my reply I want the fucking ambulance to break down on the way to the hospital as well.
How the fuck was he first choice left back for England at the World Cup?
Wenger Eagle
No , I don’t have access to BT in the states
I saw Phil Jones get injured in their last match at home and I’m surprised that Oli played him.
That bandage came loose several times during the match because he was so busy trying to find Leo Messi. He will have a stiff neck too tomorrow morning.
It doesn’t take much to make that deduction.
Did someone else use the line…it was so obvious I ‘m afraid.
I won’t be surprised if the Mass general people come back and say that Phil Jones was concussed during this game.
Messi made him shake that skull over and over again
Really looking forward to the game tomorrow,
Fully expect City to fold and collapse mentally if the game is in the balance with half an hour to go.
Marc
Well said
Not concussed just a retard and piss poor footballer who only managed to do what he did under Fergie where he wasn’t allowed to be shown cards.
Fully expected that result once i saw Chiellini didn’t make it, someone on there said something about Juve’s boring style of play and they are absolutely right. Rugani has gotten bad spending all that time on the bench and Bonnuci always looks lost without Chiellini, they’ve missed Douglas Costa though as Bernadeschi and Bentacur aren’t really that good, squad really is just made up of workmanlike players and little to no flair….Fully expect Ramsey to shine in that team if he does settle
Bentancur is so overrated, one paced one dimensional CM player good for a crab passing team.
Credit to Ajax though, such an amazing performance though some of their forward play reminded me a bit of 08/09 Arsenal when we tried to literally walk it into the net.
Also seems Dybala isn’t going to live up to all that hype from his Palermo days
Credit to Ajax though, such an amazing performance though some of their forward play reminded me a bit of 08/09 Arsenal when we tried to literally walk it into the net.
Also seems Dybala isn’t going to live up to all that hype from his Palermo days.
Weagle
He really is average….That team like us needs proper wingers though, like Pierre would say, all they’ve got are players who just keep running and also what has happened to Alex Sandro, been shit all season
So uplifting to the see the Ajax renaissance.
Lots of talented Dutch players from their famous academy coming to the fore.
That’s the blueprint for AFC to follow.
British young talent – adorned with some overseas stardust.
AMN/ESR/Willock/Holding/ Chambers.
Attacking football.
No over complicating tactical instructions
Pure football= Happy Arsenal Punters.
Keep it simple
It’s only football.
AMN/ESR/Willock/Holding/ Chambers.
Attacking football.
No over complicating tactical instructionsPure football= Happy Arsenal Punters.
Pure football
How is the Dutch and The Croatians with their much much smaller populations- produce quality footballers and we cant?
Or is it – we can- we just dont believe in our players abilities?
Bati D Costa has been a huge miss for them, looked electric vs Ajax last week. Only played 900 mins all season because of injuries/suspensions. Bernardeschi has improved and has played a big part for them but they have nobody else really as you say that stretches the play or that can give them an outlet. Dybala has struggled because Ronaldo is operating in the spaces that he thrives in himself, have to feel sorry for him in many ways as he’s a top 10 forward in Europe in his own right when he’s played in his position and yet… Read more »
Uruguay too, 3 million people and they’re always there late in competitions.
15 Copa Americas.
With self belief- and playing in his natural position. AMN could be a total superstar for Arsenal.
There is something unique in this players armour.- he has a beguiling quality.
We must play our youngsters .
Amd we must play them in their correct positions.
Ajax is showing to the rest of the world what can be achieve if you believe in yourself and play without fear. Of course it helps to be talented and be surrounded by intelligent players, but young players need specific environment to strive. Put half that Ajax team in an Italian environment and they would not be so successful. Put the rest of the team in an English top 6 environment where you make a mistake and you are out of the team and they will shriek. A coach who doesn’t trust his players and treats them as robots he… Read more »
@ marc.
that comment of yours really cracked me up… what???
after a broken leg, the ambulance would also breakdown on the way to the hospital.
if only you could see my face right now… you really cracked me up
Ajax can afford to develop their young players.. Because they will win their League at a canter almost every year and frankly if they don’t nobody cares. We don’t have that luxury. The PL is the most competitive league there is.. Don’t forget Pool, City, Spuds, Man. U were all still in the CL too. Ajax if in the PL might finish in the top 6 over the course of the season. Big Maybe. Yes… it’s a brilliant story and refreshing to see… But let’s not get stupid about Project youth.. It’s more of a fantasy idea then what can… Read more »
I forbid the day I’ll sit down my couch and watch a juventus match for full 90min…
I even skipped both leg of the round of 16 clash against ATM… I can’t even imagine the amount of eye damages both legs would have on my lovely eyes.
juve vs atm, the worst match I could ever think to watch
Apologies for that last post,in rehashing Un Naai &GOH posts,but he asked for it.
I know,I should ignore.And it takes away from a quality blog-but some people need to be silenced.Or at least have an awareness of such ignorance and bigotry.
I’ll leave it at that.
PS
I have my own faults I admit-but there are levels and then the next level.. 🙂
PPS
Don’t shoot me Mid West…
@ PhD…
what were you trying to do with that last post.
I won’t even bother reading it even if, reading it would save someone’s life… lol
goodnight man
Middy
Ajax haven’t actually won their league since 2014, PSV have been better in recent seasons.
I think that it’s more of an emergence of a freakish generation of talent then their ability to play younger players via a weaker league. De Jong, De Ligt and Neres are generational talents.
When was the last time that Ajax had even remotely a comparable team to this one? You have to go back to when they won the CL in 95′ really.