Where I sit…
Freddie Ljungberg pulled off the ultimate power move last night, hiding a poor performance behind an election. Can’t knock that.
… and oh my, what an election. It was like watching Arsenal take a 7-2 spanking against United back in the day. Hide behind the couch type stuff. Aaron Ramsey crying into Alex Song’s nook on the team bus home. Just like Arsenal, the board were making decisions on the future of the head coach based on Twitter sentiment and an ‘Arsene knows’ tweet from Youthquake organizer, Stormzy. Labour kept the worst manager in their history on the books for another 2 seasons, the xG numbers were atrocious but the superfans on LFTV kept brushing them off as ‘hipster bullshit.’
The squad was packed full of antisemites, experts said it’d affect performance on the pitch, but no one had the balls to drop the perpetrators. The tactics were non-commital, the election needed a Gengenpress rebuttal of Brexit, but they ended up with Mesut Ozil leading the charge and it fell apart. Corbyn tried to save the terrible performance with an in-game adjustment, adopting a ‘run it into the corner’ approach with tactical voting led Hugh ‘Eboue’ Grant. It didn’t help, he was hooked on 88 after being brought on on 81. A total shambles. Some of the supporters are blaming the fans, some are blaming the media, but when all is said and done, you can’t look further than the disgrace in the dugout.
What a mess. Bourisinho just shithoused his way to Champions League glory without breaking a sweat. Owen Jones in pieces, but at least Corbyn will give him the foreword in his book.
I tried to make that as long as possible, because Arsenal really weren’t much to write home about. To be fair to Freddie, he made a lot of changes, but the same problems persisted. We’re just not much of a force over the course of 90minutes. Standard Liege operate to a very low standard of football, all of the various combinations in our squad should be putting them to the sword, but it didn’t happen.
The defending is still a bit of a mess. Maybe unfair to pin two deflected goals on the players, but the second one was a Willock error in the box. He’s really is struggling at the moment, but it’s to be expected with kids. So let’s not be too judgemental.
The comeback is really all that I care about, namely, because it was all about Saka, one of my favourite young players at the club right now. He delivered an absolute peach of a cross that found Lacazette for an easy finish. His second was a lovely one-two exchange with Martinelli and a low shot tucked into the bottom corner. The backlift was short, but the precision was deadly.
I love the idea of Saka and Martinelli flanking Aubamayang this weekend. I have my doubts Freddie will go with that much inexperience, but really, if you want to scare City, you have to get at their defenders with power and pace, those three certainly have the pace in abundance.
The game finished 2-2. Frankfurt blew their lines. We finished top of the group.
So here’s how the next round looks.
Seeded:
Ajax, Arsenal, Basel, Benfica, Braga, Celtic, Espanyol, Gent, Internazionale, İstanbul Başakşehir, LASK, Malmö, Manchester United, Porto, Salzburg, Sevilla
Unseeded:
APOEL, AZ Alkmaar, Bayer Leverkusen, CFR Cluj, Club Brugge, Copenhagen, Eintracht Frankfurt, Getafe, Ludogorets, Olympiacos, Rangers, Roma, Shakhtar Donetsk, Sporting CP, Wolfsburg, Wolves
We’re seeded, but I’ve still highlighted the teams I’d like to avoid. Like last season, I think the biggest worries are the British sides. Inter are the hot foreign team I’d rather avoid, same with Shaktar just because they are a long plane ride, and Roma because I think Fonseca is a good coach.
Arsenal will have to work hard to win it this year, so let’s hope we hire in a great coach to guide us there.
Right, see you in the comments.
China’s pulled the TV coverage of our match today. Footballer’s and politics don’t mix whether it’s a moral issue or not.
CG
Wtf, it seems you would love to see us lose today.
It’s a football match, anything can happen. We have an outside chance as our strikers are lethal.
Tony,
I know right? My doctors’ therapeutical sessions on life choices are world renown. I’m sure you and your wife could really use it but you’d have to be filthy rich to get in. Doubt you’d make it.
@ Marc
China is showing its soft power. We’ll probably see a lot more of this going forward.
What midfield would people go with today? I think we need a hard working midfield that just closes down space with one player dedicated to stifling De Bruyne. We should copy United and go with MAP in attack and look to hit the on the break. Get Pepe isolated against Angelica or whatever their LB is called. But the midfield in terms of personnel is tricky. Torreira must be a given. But then who else? Guendouzi you’d imagine which means the final place is a choice between Willock, Ozil and Smith Rowe. I really don’t want to see Ljungberg go… Read more »
Well well well, ozil has surpassed himself now, he is now not only costing the club his 350k a week and not putting in the performances, he has now cost the club lost revenue in one of the worlds biggest market. The best thing for him and the club now is to suspend him and then give him his free transfer to fenerbache in january. There is nothing wrong in having views but not to the detriment of his employers, arsenal football club, and that includes all the supporters who stick up for him when they thought he was unfairly… Read more »
M Gooner “””CG Wtf, it seems you would love to see us lose today.It’s a football match, anything can happen. We have an outside chance as our strikers are lethal”” Do you actually watch soccer? Really watch it or pay lip service to it? Pen & Paper in hand whilst the game is on? There is more chance of Jeremy Corbyn becoming PM! no chance- aint happening. it will be a footballing massacre and we will deserve it. And by the way: I support The Arsenal not Rauls Arsenal: two different things. He is a cockroach and we are a… Read more »
There is not a single positive thing about Ozil. He has now become a liability off the pitch as well. Why doesn’t he simply f*** off to some Turkish club ? About time we terminate his contract.
Rambo
‘I’m sure you and your wife could really use it but you’d have to be filthy rich to get in. Doubt you’d make it.’
So you took out a 2nd mortgage for your Dr’s fees. Very impressed.
Can’t remember where you come from? Was it Pakistan or India ?
Thought it was mentioned you’re from Asia?
CG
“we are a club of class and decency”
When did we all feel that was the case?
Post 2006 I’d say.
CG
You support distant memories, not realities.
CG you’re a fool for not buying in to my 4-3 victory holy vision
God himself came to me in a dream and told me it will be so. And I was like but Dennis how can you be so sure? And he was like shut up China1. What do you even care? The game won’t be showed in China anyway
And then I woke up
I think we now have due cause for cancelling Ozil’s contract.
Whatever his personal opinions on the China issue, we really can’t afford lost revenue at this point. Plus it’s a bit rum fora Turk to criticise other nations about their human rights.
That fucking tosser Ozil should be thrown out of the club.
China
Why are you dreaming about me?
Marc you are bergkamp?
GUYS HES HERE HES BEEN HERE ALL ALONG!!!!!
I see Ivan “The terrible” Gazidis is pushing for a revamped ECL.
A league of 32 teams!!! I mean, wtf!
Helped to fudge us over, now he’s at it in Europe.
To win the CL you’d only have to play 19 games.
Unfriggingbelievable!
What a tosser.
MGooner
I know what China’s doing – I thought the club gave players “media” training?
You do have to wonder if the club will have the legal team take a look at his contract? We couldn’t get a fee for him and would probably have to subsidise his wages to loan him out.
Didn’t Chelsea sue Mutu after he failed a drugs test? I wonder if gross misconduct would apply to Ozil as well?
For comedy value I also wonder how Pierre’s going to find a way to defend Ozil on this one.
China
No China I’m his father!
Is this premeditated by Ozil?
Wouldn’t put it past him.
Graham
Wouldn’t be surprised but it could backfire on him if the club go after him for lost revenue / damaging the brand.
Just posted on Arseblog – Dear old Bamford being, well, Bamford.
J.M. Bapple @ 07:50 | Dec 15, 2019
If anyone is interested in knowing what actually happened on Le Grove, just ask. It’s an interesting story, IMO, and I would be happy to tell it. Please note, though, that everything that has been said here so far about this is false and misinformed. No one here has said anything that is even remotely accurate regarding what happened there.
Leno
AMN (no other option!) Chambers Papa Sok Kola
Torr Guen
Pepe ESR Martinelli
Abu
This!
Stop stalking Bamford
He kinda imposes himself, Batistuta. Its not stalking, its having your reading experience hijacked and ruined by the fool.
Would be entertaining for Pedro to ask the question of him though, just sayin
Who’s J. M. Bapple?
Bamford, thats his new moniker Graham.
Oh, ok.
How long before Bamford get’s banned from Arseblog!
Interested to see the team for today.
Nothing’s changed with him so i guess its really with the tolerance level of the moderators, Marc. He’s pissing off quite a number of posters there already with his all too familiar “style”.
Rather embarrassing question for those posting about Arseblog. I have never even seen a comment section there. Do you have to sign up for the membership to see it?
Click on the little “arses” box at the bottom of each post, zimmie. There usually is a number that represents the volume of comments.
Curious if Ozil is in the lineup today, given his recent comments?
Ah, I always thought that was just their version of “likes” never actually bothered to click it.
Damn everyone is cold in here. Ozil did a brave thing in my eyes. He is costing the club money boohoo. So? he actually used his platform to bring up an issue about minorities. If commercial opportunities are more important to you then you don’t understand football and you shouldn’t watch it either. This beautiful game is supposed to bring people together, promote peace and fight for world justice too.
habesha
I don’t know where you are from but anyone in the UK contract of employment will have clauses about codes of conduct (or it should).
Everyone’s knows at least something about China’s human rights record, it’s terrible environmental record and the way it ignores International law on things like patents.
Truth is no one gives a shit or they’d stop buying so much stuff made in China.
The Chinese cancelling the televised broadcast of the Arsenal game after one of our players highlighted human rights abuses over there is petulance of the highest order.
I hope we see MAP today. We’ll concede at least 3 goals, so we’ll need to score at least 3 goals to get anything from today’s game. Take the game to them or it’ll be a massacre.
4-1 City. No hope whatsoever from me I’m afraid.
Well said Habesha Gooner.
Ozil in the right here.
100% right .
The Club is rotten to the core- with that statement they put out contradicting him.
His remarks were in complete contrast to Bellerins outrageous political ones.
Ozil is pointing out Human Rights abuses.
Huge difference.
He should be applauded.
Habesha
You have got to admit Ozil has been a little selective in his causes. Turkey does not exactly have an exemplary record when it comes to human rights for minority groups – just ask the Kurds.
Ozil is one funny dude
His wedding was chaired by a malevolent dictator yet he deems it fit it criticize China for mistreating moslems. Doesn’t he realize that the Turks Erdogan was jailing were moslems too?
His statement [within his rights] and Bellerin’s crude election day attack on Boris just shows what type of club we have morphed into.
Aussie
Didn’t he have Erdoğan at his wedding?
Marc
He sure did! Maybe he was best man!
I don’t believe there is a clause in anyone’s contract that says if you speak against human rights violations you are not adhering by the clubs code of conduct. The thing that annoyed me more was the club’s statement, they should have said nothing instead of distancing themselves. Just because Ozil hasn’t been playing great football doesn’t make it okay to attack him on an issue where he is defending minorities. I know every one just cares about money but to condemn his actions just because you love money more is not okay.
habesha
” This beautiful game is supposed to bring people together, promote peace and fight for world justice too.”
You mean like FIFA completely ignoring the widespread human rights abuses in Qatar?
You mean like FIFA handing Russia a World Cup with it has well known human rights issues with homosexuality etc?
Its all fun and games until the bottom line is impacted. Principles aside habesha, money is king and Arsenal are a business.
I really don’t think any country is beyond reproach when it comes to human rights abuses.
Australia and the US have their problems, you only have to look at how illegal immigration is handled.
Ozil can’t play football anymore so he’s preparing for life after football. His comments have probably boosted his Twitter followership by another one million.
Aussie
Really I wonder what Habesha makes of that.
Marc I get what you are saying, you could criticize Ozils character generally but the issue he brought up or highlighted is real just like the Kurds in Turkey. You could criticize him being selective but not for the issue he brought up.
This article shares my views exactly.
dailycannon.com/2019/12/arsenal-ozil-uighurs/
If Ozils comments lead to the EPL being pulled from China. He will be sacked sharpish. I’m sure someone from the club will have been in his ear already.
Ozil’s comments are full of shit, given what his mate Erdogan is doing to Kurds. Granted, two wrongs do not make a right.
Yeah it’s bad what the Chinese are doing to them. Sticking them in camps and brainwashing them.
One thing is for sure- there won’t be any Islamic terror in China
What’s the heaviest loss we have suffered on home turf?
Stat geeks, be prepared to update your numbers.
Freddie
I agree
There has to be money to spend. So why is our budget so low all the time?
Nothing last jan
£45m in summer
Nothing this
Jan
Spent most of next summer’s budget on Luiz and Pepe
How can that be? How can Brighton and Watford and West Ham have more money than us?
Suga
Ozil is just a typical Turk
Ex-Chelsea striker Demba Ba hits out at Arsenal over Mesut Ozil treatment
Not surprised,’ Ba posted on Twitter. ‘Arsenal just keep distancing themselves from the best in general.’
———————————————-
Ba’s got some wit
New post
The chinese are absolutely based. They don’t give two shifts if people keep crying ‘das wayciss’.
Could be a brutal game today.
Would give Robbie Burton a debut alongside toreira then play guendouzi most advanced and tell him not to step inside our own half and just tell him to run at people and try and make stuff happen. He’s good at that.