‘Rona nightmare for Arsenal

by .

Honestly, my tech life is in a SHAMBLES. I lost a laptop to a can of hard seltzer last week. Sunday, I lost my personal one to an update. Today, I was sent a replacement that was broken. I’m in pieces. Gone are the days when a simple reset was all you needed.

Currently, I’m typing on an old computer that has heavy keys. But hey, I’m doing this for you. Carpal tunnel syndrome is for the meek.

Bukayo Saka landed himself some minutes for England in their defeat to Belgium. We lost 2-0 but he aquited himself well, especially in a dominant second half. He was very unlucky not to have landed an assist when he played in Kane. The star of the show was Jack Grealish. What a player. Shame we didn’t put that Pepe 72m into him.

I do find these international breaks a fucking joke in general. We’re in the middle of round two of a pandemic and we’re sending players out into different operational setups that appear to have shite covid protocols. We’ve had scares from the Ireland game, we nearly lost Tierney to the Scotland squad, now we’ve lost Mo Elneny to the Egyptian lapse.

I don’t know what’s happened, but it seems every time players step out of their club bubbles, bad things happen. It’s so irresponsible. Players are treated like cattle. They’re being brutalised by the fixtures, whilst having their health risked on international breaks… for friendlies.

Arteta has dropped another interview with the .com. This time, he’s using numbers like an elite marketer.

“It’s part of a process. The results have to be immediate, and the challenge we have with the club we are representing is that we have to win as quickly as possible every game in every competition.

“So far we have played 14 games in all competitions this season, we won 10 and lost four and the four of them have been in the Premier League, so it is a little bit imbalanced.

His framing of the numbers makes for nice reading, but the fans won’t play those sort of games. We can’t be having #top4trophy moments this earlier into a tenure. I think what he’s trying to say is ‘let’s not lose our shit, we’re in a rough patch, but it’ll get better.’

He has to fix more than the win ratio. The savaging he’s taking isn’t really about the points total in the league. It’s the fact we’re not really playing. The performances are dropping and the football is drab. It’s hard to win over fans when those two aren’t working with the results.

Still, he’s a realist.

“We have to settle and everyone has to realise where we are now, but I see the future as really bright. I am a really positive person and I tend to learn much more when things don’t go well and we have a defeat like we had the other day that really hurt after the performance we had at Old Trafford.

“We have to understand why it happened, be really critical first of all with myself and try to understand the players better, and give them more solutions to win more football matches.”

He sees what we see. I think he was extremely shook by the Villa game. His bet on seniority has not paid off so far. His addiction to Lacazette is like MDMA without the party… it’s just pure Tuesday blues. The lack of creativity when you’ve made a point to bin the German social media manager looks bad to fans that only understand football through the lens of Youtube videos.

All these things add up… but as you all know, you can go from fraud to hero in a matter of moments.

What puts the ghouls back in the basement?

3 big results in a row. Maybe even two. Beat Leeds and Spurs and equilibrium will restored.

Great techique in any sport is what you fall back on when the chips are down. Keep doing the basics right and good things will happen. The basics here, from an amateur perspective, would be to put Auba through the middle to get his form back.

I’m not sure I believe Nicolas Pepe is the missing piece of the jigsaw. I think it’s Saka on the left and Willian playing himself into form.

The real key to the next few games is having a fit Thomas Partey. Without Mo supporting him, it looks like it might be Dani Ceballos… and… Xhaka? If the manager was brave, he might go with a Willock like figure. Put some energy in the side. Give our midfield a runner against two sides that we’ll probably sit deep against.

We’ll see though. These next few games are those that make managers. To make it in this league, you have to learn fast, and you have to take risks. You also have to put up with fans that have no patience.

Still, let’s be Perspective FC for a moment. The job this season is top 4. Currently, we’re 6 from 1st. We’ve had a tough run of games teams like Spurs haven’t had. We are also in poor form, that will change, if we keep on gathering points and we’re with 3-6 points of top 4 come February, it’s game on people. That’s the job to be done, we are still in the mix, let’s see how close we are at the end of the next phase of games.

The team needs a jolt, what do YOU think that jolt should be?

P.S. Listen to the quarter term report on Arsenal with Alex I recorded on Sunday. It’s with Alex, he was good.

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play

388 Comments
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Chris

Luiz
Willian

Eriksen next? They’ll be calling the Emirates Jurassic Park before long.

Eriksen was an outstanding footballer in a Spurs team that thrives between 2015-2019. There is a chance he could return to that kind of form but I would much rather we take a chance on the kind of player who has a higher ceiling and down the line, potentially a resale value (see what LFC have done). The Hungarian (can we just call him Dom Smith?) fits the bill here and if the rumoured asking price of £20 million is true, that’s where our attention should be.

Pierre

Jose bringing bale in could be a masterstroke.
The same could be said for Ancelotti with James, his injury came at a bad time for Everton and their results and form has suffered.

Quality players do not become bad players overnight , they just need the right environment to thrive in

Pierre

Chris
Eriksen is 28 , the peak age for a footballer…..swapping xhaka for Eriksen would be outstanding business.

China1

Yes Pierre the moment you freeze out a talented player your entire team becomes trash, right?

Although the irony is that we were trash long before mesut got frozen out. He was awful under emery and did nothing under arteta

China1

Chris I gather his name is Dom Slobby

Marc

Welcome to Le Ozil – the blog where you can be bored to death by the constant comments by one poster about an irrelevant player.

James wood.

Erickson something is amiss with him?
Rather go with Brook still feeling his way back
after an injury but is getting good reviews .
Potential to be very good.?

Ernest Reed

Once more with feeling, you have absolutely no shame whatsoever Pierre, none.

Dissenter

Marc
What do you make of Pedro’s acceptance of negative Galapagos tortoise football tactics . One in which we hide in our shells for 85 minutes to give the opposition 25-30 shots at our goal so that we can get 3-5 shots at their goal.
Pedro is happy for us to park the double decker bus away at Leeds on Sunday.

I can understand playing away at Liverpool or city in that fashion, but to do it against a newly promoted team?
Somethings not right.

Samir

David Brooks is a very good shout. Quality player.

Pierre

Marc
Xhaka ?

Marc

Dissenter

“so that we can get 3-5 shots at their goal.”

When we did manage that many?

I said the other day I think in order to protect the defence Arteta has allowed the midfield to cede too much ground dropping to deep, this has then adversely affected our ability to push forward and attack.

To make matters worse clubs are now finding ways to get round it so our “improved defence” has now conceded 10 goals in 8 games.

Graham62

We all know Pierre trolls. We all know he deliberately winds people up with his Ozil comments. We all know that he will bring Mesut into most of his comments on here, whether relevant or not. Putting this all aside for one minute, let’s not forget one simple fact. Mesut Ozil has become an utter joke these past few years. He was, for the most part a liability when he played and also, even more significantly, when he didn’t. Remembering when he ghosted beautifully past Gareth Barry in the 2010 WC in South Africa is a long and distant memory.… Read more »

Marc

Pierre

He’s in the same shallow grave as Ozil.

Pierre

Oh dear, i talk about signing a new playmaker and the ozil obsessives resurface.

China1

There’s a Swedish striker about 19 years old we bought on deadline day who looks like a real prospect. Awesome hold up play and 3 goals in 3 games for u23. Hes about 6’5 and built as well. We have 4 CFs in the first team squad but zero are hold up or link up sorts

I wonder if he can go far.

China1

Nketiah does really well for the youth teams but I wanna see him take the next step with the senior team. He always just looks a bit light weight.

Awesome scorer at youth levels tho

Pierre

Marc
Eriksen for Xhaka and sign Szoboszlai in January ?

Dissenter

I love the new title Pedro gave Ozil; social director]

Ozil put up a video is his work-outs recently and it just made one realize that the lad is stealing a living.
It was the most low keyed work-out you’ll ever see in a professional athlete, even his sit-ups are partial.

Pierre

20 mil and we get eriksen and Szoboszlai…job done..

Marc

Anythings an improvement on Xhaka – if we get DS I’m not sure we need Eriksen a well.

As always if the manager thinks we need both and we can do it great – I’d rather go for a younger player if it one or the other though.

Ernest Reed

“Oh dear, i talk about signing a new playmaker and the ozil obsessives resurface.”

You are such a slutty troll, Pierre.

Pierre

China
“Yes Pierre the moment you freeze out a talented player your entire team becomes trash, right?”

Eriksen…Inter milan are currently 7th
Ozil….Arsenal are currently 11th
Coutinho….Barcalona are currently 9th
Bale and james…..Real madrid are currently 4th.

Explain to me how it improves the team.

Dissenter

China1
Francis Jeffers too was prolific at the youth level but wasn’t so great as a senior player.
Nkettiah has had enough chances to prove himself, a more aware manager would be at least giving Balogun 25% of the opportunities Eddie is getting.
He ought to be allowed to go on loan again in January to a club where he can start most games.

Ernest Reed

“The Ozil of 2020 is not the Ozil of 2010.A liability and an embarrassment.”

He also now happens to likely be the highest paid Twitter Admin in history, not actually paid by Twitter but dear old AFC.

Pierre

Marc
“Anythings an improvement on Xhaka – if we get DS I’m not sure we need Eriksen a well.”

Eriksen is prem ready and the pressure is off Szoboszlai to perform straight away….20 mil for the 2 …a no brainer.

Anyway, i don’t regard eriksen and Szoboszlai as similar players…

Guns of Hackney

Willian has to play. Otherwise one looks like a complete cunt paying a bench dude £1,000,000 a month.

Arteta has played himself into a silly corner.

Embarrassing.

Daniel Altos

Since moving to Inter, Christian Eriksen has played 22 games, starting 11. He has two assists and one goal.

He has however been creating a chance for team-mates every 34 minutes. Arsenal’s best is Dani Ceballos every 49 minutes, Willian 65, Auba 72.

China1

Pierre you are equating a single player to the whole team. Results happen due to literally countless interlinking variables.

You say excluding elite talent is so damaging but it depends entirely on absolutely everything else whether it’s the right decision or not

We outright petit, anelka, overmars etc as world class players for us just to make an easy cheap buck. Their cut price replacements were the backbone of the invincibles.

But don’t let an inconvenient truth get in the way of a good ozil jerk fest

China1

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Tej5WbOmYBE

Moller. What excites me about this kid is his touch. His touch is fabulous. Massive frame + brilliant touch is a fantastic combination. If he and demonstrate anything resembling end product at the senior level he will do very well

Pierre

Dissenter “Nkettiah has had enough chances to prove himself, a more aware manager would be at least giving Balogun 25% of the opportunities Eddie is getting.” Eddie has started one league game this season and is our joint top scorer in all comps …our creativity and goalscoring problems are in the league. That said , I think Balogun could be dynamic given the chance ..he looks explosive to me and could forge a good partnership with Eddie as they have very different attributes. It depends on how much bottle Arteta has to take the risk…playing eddie saka and Balogun cant… Read more »

Graham62

Pierre

You love the attention.

Pierre

China
“Pierre you are equating a single player to the whole team. Results happen due to literally countless interlinking variables.”

What you are saying is it is just a coincidence that those sides have regressed without their most talented players in their team ..

I beg to differ.

Pierre

Graham
I was giving my opinion on Eriksen coming to the club and explaining why his performance level has dipped …nothing more..

Champagne charlie

Normal football is overdue, reading Pierre talk bollocks about overpaid players not playing is such a bore.

Started with his German gal pal, but he’s extending the fixation to anyone on ridiculous wages not featuring.

Tell us Pierre, why can’t all the names mentioned get games at their parent clubs when they’re apparently so talented and keys to success?

Pierre

Charlie
I’ve already covered that thanks , now get back in your box .

Captain Tierney

Barca are currently 9th but Coutinho is not frozen out. On the contrary Koeman wants Coutinho to play a big part.

Eriksen is not frozen out. He doesn’t suit the Conte system. Conte thought he was signing a Fabregas like player. What he got was an Ozil lite.

Madrid won the La Liga with Bale and James on the fringes.

Sid

Guns of HackneyNovember 18, 2020 12:01:51
Willian has to play. Otherwise one looks like a complete cunt paying a bench dude £1,000,000 a month. Arteta has played himself into a silly corner.

Very intelligent, he is……

Champagne charlie

Pierre

Not a wise remark from a geriatric.

Pierre

Sid
Don’t memtion it to charlie as he thinks the sun shines out of Arteta’s arse ..

Sid

Who will be the 1st manager to get the sack this season? Asking for a friend.

Sid

PierreNovember 18, 2020 12:44:17
Sid
Don’t memtion it to charlie as he thinks the sun shines out of Arteta’s arse ..

Supreme leaders teeth have this brightness, easy to make the mistake

Samir

Sid
Sean Dyche

Champagne charlie

Pierre

Always looking to make it about Arteta eh Pierre. Does that qualify you as an Arteta obsessive…

Dali

The Jolt is pretty easy, Play Pepe & Auba as the front two in the box (442 formation). If Pepe gets fouled as much in the box as he does out on the touchline then players will think twice about tackling him. The next throwing Saka & Maitland Niles as the two wingers to team up with Bellerin and Tierney. More quality crosses are needed into that box for Pepe & Auba. Maybe that Invincibles setup is what we need.

Dissenter

I’m shocked that Joachim Low has not resigned.

Kaz

LOL

As if people are actually stating Eriksen is not worth getting in a trade with Xhaka! Fucking Xhaka!

I can’t take this level of stupid 😂😂😂

I don’t see the deal happening, he loves Tottenham, he wanted a new challenge and that’s why he wasn’t featured much last season

But if we could do it we absolutely should.

Szoboszlai is the name on everyone’s lips, he should know he won’t get gametime if he goes to the real big boys, so it’s out of who has more appeal to him Arsenal or Milan.

Dissenter

The premier league needs to reintroduce the 5 sub rule ASAP.
You have to wonder what;’s the use of the PFA.
These players didn’t here much post season rest and are dropping like flies.

Kaz

His last season at Tottenham*

Marc

“I don’t see the deal happening, he loves Tottenham, he wanted a new challenge and that’s why he wasn’t featured much last season”

He wanted better money – an ongoing issue with a lot of the Spuddies – Danny Rose was whinging about his money 5 years ago, Alderweireld was out the door until he realised no one really wanted him, Vertonghen left because he wanted more money.

Kaz

Who’s more corrupt, our current Conservative government or Fifa?

I think it’s about the same at this point.

NORG

Sid

Slaven Bilic or somebody else if the next three games do not go the way they hope or expect.

Kaz

@Marc, I don’t buy that totally, I think he wanted a trophy as well as the money.

China1

Pierre that’s because you wish it was true Let’s play a game called imagine arteta just played saka on the wing and auba at CF for all of the league games so far this season. Let’s imagine we didn’t have an overly rigid (non-existent) approach to offense based on a freer system. We could realistically be a solid 4 points better off right now. And those 4 extra points would’ve required a grand total of zero minutes from our Twatter in chief, mesut. Funny how football is a game with 11 players on the pitch, a complex set of systems… Read more »

Nelson

Pierre

Ideally, if we can sell Xhaka, sign DS and loan Eriksen for a season. DS is only 20 years old. He may need some time to adapt to EPL. Eriksen is someone we need right now. But he has no resale value. A loan will protect us in case it doesn’t work out..

Guns of Hackney

Arteta has made me look like a prick…and I don’t need help with that. He has to go.

Early seeds are the fruit of oak trees.

After two games, I said Emery was cooked. I was right.
After 10 years, I said Arsene was done. I was right.

Arteta has show some scary traits that I can’t look past so he has to go. Whatever I am, I am consistent and ask for no quarter.

China1

Or let’s put it this way Pierre how about you tell me. How many games do you think ozil has been quality in in the last two full seasons under arteta and emery? If you think the answer is more than 5 then you’re absolutely full of shit lol. That’s 76 available league games across two seasons he could’ve shone in. How many many of the matches did this golden talent, this game changer, this monstrously gifted genius, the difference maker between us being competitive and not – how many times did he even play well let alone win MOTM… Read more »

Graham62

China1

I know the answer to this one.

Liverpool away, in the Kangaroo Cup last season.

5-5, lost on penalties.

It was Liverpool’s third team though.

Graham62

Guns

I’m with you on this.

Nelson

BTW, Eriksen has just scores the two goals for Denmark beating Iceland 2 – 1.. He is not finished yet.

Pierre

China
“Or let’s put it this way Pierre how about you tell me. How many games do you think ozil has been quality in in the last two full seasons under arteta and emery?”

It’s you and the rest of the obsessives who are discussing ozil , not me ….have a little discussion amongst yourselves .

Marc

Kaz

“I think he wanted a trophy as well as the money.””

You could argue if he wanted to win something why did he join the Spud’s in the first place!

Words on a Blog

Meanwhile, another Arsenal player tests positive for Covid-19 playing a stupid meaningless international match. This time it’s Kola.

Fingers crossed for Tierney……

Guns of Hackney

Kola doesn’t have COVID, he has fucking shitness. This in itself IS a disease but generally not catching. But it does appear that it may be spreading in the Arsenal dressing room but it might be complacency. Who knows?

Pierre

Nelson
“BTW, Eriksen has just scores the two goals for Denmark beating Iceland 2 – 1.. He is not finished yet.”

Exactly

Pierre

Kaz
“LOL
As if people are actually stating Eriksen is not worth getting in a trade with Xhaka! Fucking Xhaka!I can’t take this level of stupid 😂😂😂”

Exactly

Chris

Dom Smith/Dom Slobby may well need time to adjust, but this isn’t a prefix for anyone foreign player obviously, look at how quickly Cesc adapted at 16. If he is good enough( and he looks it) it shouldn’t take him too long. I’m just not sold on paying. more high wages for another player who may be past his best., on a loan deal. We have made so many bad decisions with contract extensions or free transfers. Let’s build a team with the best young talent at home and in Europe and build something that can potentially last for years,… Read more »

Chris
Marc

“Wrighty says Nketiah has to get angry:”

Well in that case he should read the comments section here. 5 minutes of Pierre’s constant Ozil bullshit and he’ll score 4 on Sunday.

Chris

Marc

I’m staying out of that one!

NORG

Chris
Edu’s remit upon joining AFC was to source emerging young talent still at peppercorn prices. It is too soon to judge if his ‘selection’ will be successful. Dom Slob is one of his preferences.

Erikson is a fine player and it is unfortunate we have too many past it players already milking the club otherwise it would appear to have been a good move especially as it would mean ridding us of the Crab.

Champagne charlie

Eriksen scored two penalties Nelson…..

Gonsterous

Another day, same old arguments. Just waiting for the weekend to arrive so we can finally see what arteta has learnt from all this.
Something tells me it’s going to be more of the same pragmatic 3-4-3 bs, and pedro is going to come in here and explain how we can’t change things mid season.

Freddie Ljungberg

Chris “We have made so many bad decisions with contract extensions or free transfers. Let’s build a team with the best young talent at home and in Europe and build something that can potentially last for years, not constantly trying to fit old square pegs and gaping holes.” Agree. I see Spuds are the latest team being linked to Szoboszlai, would be typical if we wasted the Xhaka money on Eriksen and they got Dom. They would get a player with the potential to become one of the best players in the world and leave for a massive fee, and… Read more »

Gonsterous

China

That moller chap reminds me of Lord bendtner.
Bendtner was technically not a bad striker actually. Just got a bit egotistical and should have instead kept his head down and worked hard. Would have been a good striker.

Captain Tierney

A report says Eriksen is our third choice attacking Midfield target behind 1-Aoaur and 2-Szoboslai.

We are also reportedly interested in Atto Abbas (?) who plays for a Turkish club. [Fabrizio]

Ishola70

Fans are now talking as if this Xhaka to Inter gossip is actually true.

Ishola70

And swap deals never ever rarely happen.

Although they are talked about a lot.

Ashwin Gunner

Pedro I cannot believe that the Arsenal hierarchy which was working “VERY HARD” during the transfer window, could find a club for a 27 million signing. Now, our 27 mil signing is playing for U23’s which is worse than playing with St. Etienne. This is a f**k up of royal proportions. And to come in .com to say politically correct stuff makes me more suspicious that he is as big as a fraud as Wenger was, who incidentally never ever owned up his mistakes. I want Arteta to grow a pair and own up to his mess up in the… Read more »

Ashwin Gunner

*could = could not

Sid

Time is on my side, yes it is
Time is on my side, yes it is
You’re searching for good times but just wait and see

Kaz

@Guns,

I think he gets sacked end of the season, no way he make top 6 with our current tactics and I don’t think the Kroenke’s will show him further patience.

Kaz

Anyway, I do enjoy reading everyone’s opinions, even if I disagree strongly with some of them.
Being able to see other perspectives is always useful.

NORG

Sid

who is going to come running back?

Ernest Reed

Can someone please explain exactly what, if any, vale that Pierre brings to this blog? A troll is a troll is a troll.

Ernest Reed

Value not vale

Guns of SF

Ive said it before and I will say it again

We need 2 creative mids on the pitch at the same time to make any worthwhile attacks happen with frequency.

Aouar and Szolobazi

both,….

if not those 2, then find another 2 that are going to be world class.

Putting most of the creating on one player will not work, especially with Arteta in charge.

Guns of SF

Willian failed, Ozil failed, and there is no one else. Saka is still developing, and is stuck on the wing most of the time…Pepe is more a finisher versus an assist man

2 creators needed…. who can dribble, break the lines, and score!