REDZONE FEARS BUBBLING

by .

The year is 2021. The future is bleak, face masks and Purrell are the currency of the land. West Ham United are genuinely an excellent side.

Imagine these visions in 2018?

West Ham had a good run out against City, beating them for xG, but losing the game. It’s kind of brutal that TV isn’t aligned better between European football and the league. How can you have City playing the first game of the day after a Champions League run out? Truly brutal.

Arsenal and Leicester are in similar boats this Sunday. I mean, bar the fact Arsenal had to do two away legs in the Europa, with our home leg being further away. Again, why does it have to be the first game of the day? Every little helps. The competitions need better alignment.

The big watchword amongst Arsenal fans atm is ‘THE RED ZONE.’ This terminology was big on Le Grove in the early days. People didn’t think it existed when we were calling for Arsenal to get a S&C coach to fix the injuries (remember Wenger getting a witch doctor in to solve the issue?). Well, now people are very much accepting of sports science. The basic premise… when you are fatigued, you have a higher chance of soft tissue injury. The fancy GPS kit they use helps staff understand where a player is in terms of their limit. When you hit the RedZone, there’s a higher chance you could ping something.

The corollary that many of us are worried about is the breakthrough of Jack Wilshere, when Wenger played him 54 times and the player never recovered… and the breakthrough season of Bukayo Saka, with Arteta being unable to drop the teenager. This is Wilshere.

‘I remember having conversations with the physios in my first year in the Arsenal team. They were like: ‘Look, you’re playing a lot…’ I told them: ‘I want to play”

“I was living the dream. I was 19, playing for Arsenal. We were challenging for the league, in the Champions League. No one was going to tell me I needed a rest. That’s one of my biggest regrets – I wish I’d listened to physios a little more, learned more about my body”

It’s very worrying. Arteta is under pressure and playing for the short term. Keeping players fit and healthy during their development is a longterm thing. ‘The player said he wanted to play’ shouldn’t factor. If I child wants to eat a bonfire, you don’t let them, unless you are a weak leader.

This Sunday feels like one of those plotlines in a film.

‘Come on Bukayo, just one more time. Do it for the boys.’

The Leicester game is another Cup Final, not because we’re going to do anything in the league, but because this project needs a major scalp after a rough run of games. Killing Brendan Rodgers title run after he shithoused us earlier in the season would be totally dreamy. He needs Saka if he has a single hope of it.

The manager knows he’s tired, his response is that fatigue is part of the game. Wenger, Ferguson, Pep, and pretty much every manager out there would say the same… but there needs to be a balance. Unai Emery fucked his top 4 hopes when he overplayed Aaron Ramsey after he returned. That sort of marginal error can kill you.

The only temptation on offer is that after today, it’s a 5-day rest until we play Burnley, a game you’d hope we could rest him.

Then it’s straight back into the Europa mixer for a doubleheader against Olympiacos, which is conveniently wedged between Spurs and West Ham United. This next batch of games is where the money is made. 6 wins and the season is saved. If we have a horrendous run, pick up some injuries, and drop out of the Europa, it’ll be a bloodbath with the fans.

This is football. Glory or death. No in-between.

Loan watch is going well. William Saliba has managed 10 games in a row, he’s certainly answering fitness questions and his fanbase is growing. Also worth noting that Dino Mavrapanos is doing well. Lots of admiring glances for one of Sven’s bets. It’d be great if one of them slipped into the squad next season. Both young, both have high ceilings, both have resale value.

Short one today. Before I go. A couple of things.

This internet is a shithole. There are literally thousands of basement dwellers whose only power in life is being mean on the internet. These cowards sometimes pop up in my comments section. I’ve had people send me e-mails this year complaining about it. I am always happy to be alerted to bad actors. If I get the mail, I sort it, every time.

What I have to reiterate, over and over and over again, is this: I am just a part-time writer. I work a fulltime job dropping New York 70 hour weeks. Advertising is where I make my money, not this website. I make ZERO money from tweets, podcasts or blogs. I am also a left-leaning snowflake. If there is someone saying mean things in the comments, trust me, it’s not because I am down with those comments.

So when you email me. Please consider this is just a big hobby on a site that looks sleek, modern, and clean… built for a 2.0 world.

Finally, some exciting news. I’m going to be a contributor for The Gooner. Layth has kindly given me a little bit of space to drop thoughts. I’ve always loved the fanzine. The jokes, elite banter, gossip, and the sketch on the back of mag was always a treat when I’d go to the games with my dad and football fam back in the day. Fanzines were and are a massive part of the footballing experience, I’m glad it’s continuing, but it could always do with your support. Sign up here, it’s money well spent.

On that note, see you in the comments. I’ll be here with an On The Whistle Podcast tomorrow.

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Useroz

*Got*

Tony

Why Pepe on the right?

Buzzy

Paul Tierney makes it 12 vs 11. Extremely biased ref.

raptora

At least there is rotation lol

MidwestGun

Sup Ladies.. ? Early matches here .. still brutal.. ugh… Ok.. so it’s pretty clear to everyone except Pedro.. Martinelli is behind both Willian and Pepe on the depth chart.. Kind of crazy that Arteta wants to keep whipping that dead horse Willian… but there you go.. Maybe he will have a good game.. I hope so… really need to get some consistency and put together a winning streak.

TheLegendaryDB10

Come on The Arsenal!!!

Radio Raheem

Martinelli doesn’t even make the bench 😂😂

Mark

Not feeling this line up. And you knew he would be starting Willian , mistake IMO!

roaaary

Arteta has seen pepe is way more effective on the left. Also seen willian is far more effective on the bench.

This is a disaster waiting to happen.

Always supported Arteta but this is insane and I’ve now lost belief in his ability to see what’s best for this club.

Aussie+Gooner

Arteta on why Martinelli is getting no game time:

“Everybody has raised the level in recent weeks,” he said. “Since Christmas the front players have given us something different.”

WTF? Are you for real Arteta?

China1

Yeah we might as well have loaned out either of Eddie or Martinelli since we have no use of either of them anymore apparently

Matt

RR

I Didn’t even notice that. If he is not injured then the guy must be thinking what the fuck.

Useroz


Why Pepe on the right?”

Because the generational BS coach puts his pet on the left.

Mark

Wow, what’s going on with Martinelli ?

Zimmie2652

Xhaka already whipping questionable cross field passes. Gonna be a long day.

TheLegendaryDB10

Arteta has decided to play Willian at all costs.

His stubbornness knows no limits. A very poor trait to have as a manager.

JOEL

G8…Youve saved me having to repeat everything that you’ve said…. Ditto…JOPPAroad. The more I see of Arteta the less there is to support in his decision making.A man clearly out of his depth…Granted he has set the team.up better defensively…He has nurtured both Saka and ESR…although more by luck than judgment….His continued support of Willian Borges…a criminal waste of £200k a week…is nonsensical.Elneny wouldn’t find his way into the starting line up of any team in the top half of the Premier League…If Bellerin having list most of his pace wanted to.leave at the end of last Season then his… Read more »

Graham

With Luiz, Willian and Soares this is the super agent 11

And with Luiz, Willian and GX plus it’s the pick the players the fans least like 11

I can see three explanations

. Arteta and Edu get some form of kickback on appearance related fees

– Arteta is trolling the fans

– Arteta is just a very poor manager

My guess is a combination of all three

Buzzy

Liecester playing really deep..they’re going for a typical Vardy smash and grab game..can be a long game

Matt

Yep

raptora

It could get ugly.

roaaary

6 mins in. Goal down. Always the same

Arteta OUT

Gazzap

Pepe and Willian still not looking right as wingers. No pressure on their full backs at all. It won’t change. We tried it for months between August and December. Why would it suddenly change now?

raptora

Elneny, Xhaka, Mari all idiots loooll

Captain Tierney

Arteta favs Xhaka and Willian combining to give Leicester an assist.

Goobergooner

Fucking pathetic defending.

Dissenter

nobody even ,marked Tielemann’s

What about the “we are defending better”. defense ?

MidwestGun

Pathetic.. wasn’t even challenged. {

Leftside

And its starts, generationally shit.

Useroz

Willian and his generational undercover agent should shut up until he manages to match Martinelli’s goal and assist stats in his breakout season… under Emery that was

Perfect start for LEI and we are fucked after SIX minutes

Buzzy

Or maybe not lol…Arteta out!!

Going to be a loooooooooong bloody afternoon

Tony

Not unexpected

MuddyGooner

Too easy for Tielemans

underrated Coq

HaRDeR tO bEat

G8

Here we go!

Dissenter

*Nobody even ,marked Tielemanns

roaaary

Always start badly. How frequently do we go behind in big games within the first 10mins

Buzzy

Shoot ffs

Useroz

Esr might as well shoot

Just Another Customer

and some of you lot still want to keep Arteta

fuck right off

Mr Serge

That was awful defending terrible terrible defending and again we are on the back foot with an early goal against us

Captain Tierney

Watching Willian play for us actually makes me angry.

Jamie

Go back to bed, Middy. Don’t do this to yourself.

raptora

How can I take this game seriously if Arteta says that Willian changed the game Vs Benfica and starts him today with Martinelli not even on the bench? How?

Radio Raheem

Matt

Quite baffling isn’t it? Even if we win this I’d still question why Martinelli isn’t making this squad.

Oh Leicester 1 up

Useroz

William corner can’t past first defender

MuddyGooner

Circus clowns

Leftside

Arteta is a bum.

Jim+furnell

Willian, Xhaka – couldn’t make it up!.

Lacaqualidie

Criminal defending. Children are taught to go to the ball and close the player down, yet Arsenal seem to be so afraid of the ball they run away.

What are they doing in training to act this way?

Mr Serge

Xhaka could not catch a player that was running with the ball that’s a joke

Nelson

Shit. All Xhaka’s fall! Gave up the ball easily and chasing shadow.

Dissenter

Tierney and Xhaka were horrific there

Foxy

Absolutely a Xhaka master class in how to xxxx up.

Benjamin

Progress!!!

Great challenge from William

MidwestGun

Hahaha Jamie.. I had 3 hours of good sleep.. And 2 cups of coffee.. I should be good.

China1

Great play from xhaka for their goal

raptora

We’ve improved defensively. Also Mari our best defender someone says was it Pierre? Lol

Gbat

Poor pass by Xhaka but Mari has to come across.

Jamie

Guys, we’re much harder to beat now. If you can’t see the progress, I can’t help you.

Anyone got an update on the ‘since Christmas’ table? Asking for a friend.

Mr Serge

Reporta martinelli is on the bench he should be starting

Nelson

Why ESR didn’t shoot?

JOEL

Xhaka and Willan caught on the ball…Surprise…Surprise and the Arsenal defence neither quick or decisive enough to prevent Tielemens from getting in on goal..
PATHETIC!!!

Valentin

William, Tierney and Mari combining to give the first to Leicester.
Once Tielemans had bypassed Tierney And William, there was nothing Xhaka could do as he was behind the play. On the other hand, Mari backtracking to block Vardy and opening the field to Tielemans was criminal.

vickingz

Generational curse, as egotistical as pedro

Mark

What a bunch of Cunts. Xhaka and Willian comedy show! No Gabriel who would have broken that up by tackling Tielemans. Another shit like up courtesy of Mikel.

TheLegendaryDB10

Lolz… what a way to concede. Poor defending.

Why are so afraid to actually challenge/ tackle the player. For any defender knowing when to tackle (and to actually do it) is a minimum requirement.

Dissenter

Tiellemans had al the time in there world to measure the goal post, weight the ball and take a selfie before he took that shot into the corner.

JayJay

That goal just showed how great we are defensively, arteta should be sacked for this line up

Globalgunner

Who here is surprised?

Muppetman

Blame xhaka all you want but Mari has to come across

underrated Coq

Really want Leicester to spank this useless manager out of my club

raptora

Arteta: Willian is starting to show why Arsenal signed him.

He said that yesterday. Hahahaha

Gazzap

On every replay that looks worse and worse for Mari.

Captain Tierney

Willian has been a right winger all his life.
Pepe has been superb at LW.

What does Arteta do?
Pepe – RW
Willian – LW.

Radio Raheem

Oh Martinelli is on the bench, the guys on BT said he wasn’t!!!

Mark

Something’s brewing at Arsenal alright…..

Useroz

We have a full cohort of defense back off merchants, and mercenaries

Btw, William and Xhaka lost the ball that started the LEI. goal

Arteta is toying with us the fans and supporters playing threr junk

Dissenter

Don,,
“I’ve had enough of Arteta
This is bull shit. We should be challenging top 4 with this squad.”

You’ll backtrack pretty soon and start playing superfan again.

andy1886

On the plus side plenty of time to get a goal back, just like we did at City. Oh……

JayJay

Come on now

MidwestGun

Mari was the one who has to stop that run…. not sure what he was doing. Cluster fuck all around though… as they all looked like snails with no energy.

Useroz

PEN earned by Pepe… darn Var

Dissenter

It wil be reversed

raptora

Simulation imo

Captain Tierney

Leicester doing their best impressive of Arsenal.

Looks a Salah-esque dive .

China1

Tierney wasn’t to blame he was up the pitch calling for a xhaka ball that never came

MidwestGun

Pk!!!! Pepe with some good tripping himself action.

Matt

Of course it won’t be given.

Dissenter

Surely dangling the leg is an obstruction

Useroz

Peter should make more contact with the LEI foot

Captain Tierney

Ndidi’s touch is outside the box. Looks like it’ll be a FK.

Nelson

Pepe is fighting!!!

raptora

Maybe foul by Ndidi outside the box?

JayJay

Funking joke

Useroz

Not a pen then why a FK??? For what??

Captain Tierney

Youri Tielemans had his leg stretched.
If pepe wants to go down, make contact with Tielemans there.

Dissenter

That was the right call
VAR did it’s job but the conspiracy theorists will be out in full force.