Such is our form that a point away is seen by some as a bad result. But is it really?
Since the season kicked off some six weeks ago we have played 4 Champions League, 7 League and a COC game with an injury ravaged squad.
That’s 12 games, 2 per week , with basically the same starting 11. Is it any wonder we were not at our scintillating best?
The Referee was dire. More on him later.
We played a team that had their tails up, having beaten the current champions in their fortress just last week.
And yet, and yet I say, despite going a goal down, we didn’t lose. No, we did not – we drew. That dear friends is a good point, let me tell you.
Ok,there were some less than convincing performances. Such is the nature of sport.
Jack had a bit of a mare. After 20 minutes I wanted him hooked. That’s what I would have done. Off he would have come and up Rosicky would have popped.
That is why I am a dumb-arsed blogger, and not a football professional (well its one of the reasons anyway) because his spirit and drive got us the equaliser. It was his first league goal for 3 years; it took a very lucky deflection for it to go in, but in it went. You don’t win a raffle unless you buy a ticket, and Jack bought a ticket.
The same tired arguments about him not being a wide player are being trotted out. He is a very talented player, he should be able to play anywhere other than defence and centre-forward. He had a bad day. Nothing more.
Let us not forget that someone has to play wide, and in the absence of all our regular wide players, why not Jack? It helped Aaron with his development. Why not Jack?
Also, hard as it may sound, he is not playing in his preferred position simply because there are other players who are better than him taking those places.
As I saw it the problem was that West Brom set out to stop us playing through the middle. That meant the flanks were where the space was, but neither Jack nor Aaron are best suited to that role.
So it became somewhat of a slog.
This is exactly the sort of game we used to lose. But not now it seems. Oh no. This is a different animal, this Arsenal.
Now to Mr Mason, our nemesis on the day.
He was crap. He allowed Jack to be kicked from pillar to post, tripped, barged and bumped off the ball. No wonder the lad could not get into any sort of a rhythm.
Personally I thought Jack could have had two penalties, the second of which was the tackle from behind of the type that has seen penalties awarded against us when Laurent has done it.
As I said, I thought we needed the flanks to be exploited and Carl and Gibbs were not very good going forward yesterday.
Anyway, given all of the above, we have to be pleased to be sitting on top of the league going into the international break.
More troops will be back after the break and we can march on.
Happy days .
Positively Arsenal 
It was interesting that when AW took Ramsey off, Jack started to play much better. Ramsey’s has played his socks off, but did have a knock, and yesterday was the first time this season that he didn’t shine. That probably meant that Jack had less space and time than normal, so no great surprise to see TR come on and free Jack up a bit. As you say, the break comes at just the right time for us now, so let’s hope this happy few, this band of brothers, get a rest and that the injured cavalry turn up in time for the Norwich match!
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Ranting is out of the system now George.
In hindsight, a point earned.
Arsenal have no entitlement to turn up at the Hawthorns and expect 3 points when the team were a bit undercooked.
Ramsey was a bit off form – not surprising considering how many games he has played recently. Coleman will do his worst to him for the next 2 weeks too.
thank the Dennis we have players coming back.
The idiots brigade are back with ‘spend some more fack’n money’ nonsense.
When Diaby is back – we will win these sort of games.
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A perfectly decent point and if the other PL title challengers turn up at the Hawthorns and meet the Baggies in the same mood then as they were yesterday they will do well to escape with a draw.
Plenty of good yesterday, Szcz pulled of a great save from the deflection, Mikel looks fit and sharp again after a long lay off, I wonder where his first half shot was going that Olivier got in the way of ? Top corner it seemed to me. Nobody really stood out, nobody really bombed.
I rarely criticise referees on the basis that it is a difficult job and if players did not cheat so much then the men in black might get more decisions right. Mason was however grossly inconsistent. One minute waving play on and trying to keep the game going (good) the next blowing his whistle at every insignificant touch.
Somebody helpfully pointed out last night that the way Flamini is racking up the yellows he should get to five and a one match ban in the home game against Nawridge – thereby missing the Palace fixture but leaving him clear for CFC, LFC and Manyoo in the next three games
In fact Mathieu I would go so far as to tell you to remove your shirt if you cant get a card in your normal way
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We’ll only know for sure towards the end of the season when everyone’s played at WBA but to my eye that looked like a decent point retrieved rather than two lost. Thought both sides were good value for the draw although WBA were undoubtedly assisted in their robust approach by a referee who was as inconsistent as he was determined not to give us any kind of break.
I do wonder how many of these assaults on Jack it’ll take before he gets his leg snapped or his ribs broken; it just seems open season on him these days and the inevitable seems around the corner in every game played.
For once I think the inter-break has come at a good time for us and I fully expect the squad to resume where they left off.
It’s been quite a run; maybe we all need a bit of a breather?
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2448474/Tottenham-close-audacious-free-transfer-bid-Italy-star-Andrea-Pirlo-Juventus-talks-stall.html
all together now : AHAHAHAHAAAAAAA …cough..choke…cough again….nostrils exploding AHAHAHAA……aaaa..breathe…HAHAHAHAHAHAA….
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Mourinho: Winning titles is not my most important objective now… I’m at Chelsea to build a legacy of stylish football
fucking hell…comedy monday !!
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flamini voted man of the match yesterday. well deserved. i think his job yesterday was the defensive mid and he did it perfectly. our main problem was the box to box. how to get the ball upfield to ozil and giroud. ramsey is the best at this and he was in the wing. when you are playing in the wing you need pace more than anything but ramsey and wilshere dont have it. its like flamster is so good now that he has to play and i think ramsey has to play as well but in the midle where he can do the damage.
the referee hate wilshere. pureand simple. he hates that he hold on to the ball a lot and trying to dribble through people. but he is the ref and he is to call the game correctly, tha he didnt pass to his mate is not his problem.
btw jack was my man of the match yesterday because he was try his best to get the ball to the opposition area at all cost. and i only watch the first half.
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Good point and good for the player’s confidence to go into the International break on top. When they come back it will feel like they have to pick up where we left off.
Two weeks without Arsenal can be quite boring. So, Harry Redknapp has decided to entertain us for today by saying that FA have no clue because he was not appointed England’s manager. Oh how I wish he was still at Spurs.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24425709
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Nailed almost every point there George. Agreed and agreed.
After the game, the thought came to mind; if English refs like Mason are willing to allow one of their best to be knocked around by opposing teams without any consequences, what do they expect from foreign refs when playing internationally. If English refs like Mason are unwilling to call a nailed-on penalty for Mulumbu taking out Jack from behind, while Kos is penalized for a similar offence (with the full support of English pundits btw) then I think something more is at work.
Horrible, inconsistent refereeing. That, it seems to me is where we need to put the pressure over the next two weeks.
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hunter, did he actually say so? i watch their game yesterday and they were outplayed. it was a mistake by a defender that gave them victory.
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Happy days indeed,shame about the forthcoming interlull.
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Sensational Arsenal
October 7, 2013 at 11:40 am
he is giving interview or signign books day at waterstones in leadenhall market and im actually thinking of going for the laughs……..
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layksite
October 7, 2013 at 11:43 am
oh i dotn know i just saw the title of an article in the dm and wanted to share the laughs…mou : im not here to win trophies… .
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i thought the fa didnt want to hire an idiot. it is bad enough that there are many incompetent people in the fa, but to hire a self confessed idiot as manager will be the last straw.
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Interesting and fairly damning point from Matthew Syed in today’s Times about Jose and his claims about hating diving and his alleged commitment to producing beautiful football
Syed pointed out that everything Jose has ever said has an second agenda, either he is trying to needle opponents, or he is involved in some political struggle inside whichever club he is managing, or he is trying to engineer some improvement in his existing contract, or he is trying to attract some new cub to employ him, or sometimes he is just putting up a cloud of bull shit to avoid answering questions that he would prefer to steer clear of.
And having listened to this self serving nonsense year after year the good Mr Syed concludes he doesn’t believe a word – and he doesn’t think Jose actually knows the difference between honesty and speaking sincerely and lying – and actually he does not care
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is rosicky going on international duty as well?
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Top top review.
I wonder I Ramsey had not been niggled if Arteta or Flamini would’ve come off. That midfield of Wilshere, Ramsey and Rosicky impressed me against a Fulham who weren’t at their best, but still. Should be more versatile in midfield after the break, Carzola back. As the gaffer said, the decisions will probably be based on ‘freshness’. Arteta and The Flame will get a rest over others during the break so I expect them to play in the first few games after he break.
Naive (at best) journalists, supposed experts on Arsenal, have spoken of the Double D**M as some kind of innovation for AFC in recent times. it is not. And in the same breath they have praised Peps switch at Munchen from two to one deep CM whilst ignoring what Arteta did last season at Arsenal. Go figure.
Arsenal have shown already this season that they can play with two, one or none deep CMs. Dependant upon fitness, and their mood!
That won’t fit the narrative of The Experts and the Petty Revisonists, but it does make it interesting.
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‘coll
mureen is doing everything to stay in chelsea. he know full well that he has lost everything at madrid. i was a bit surprise at his kind words towards arsenal and wenger recently. he must have thought wenger stayed this long at arsenal because we played wengerball.
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A timely international break for once. We need Walcott, Cazorla and Poldolski back. They are our leading goal scorers and assist makers from last season together with Giroud. In their absence Ramsey and Ozil have stepped in well but imagine the potentials when these three are back. Besides the goals they offer tactical alternatives for the manager.
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Top of table without our three most effective players from last season – wow
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Happy indeed. Top of the table still. The doubters and questioning experts are out in force and it didn’t even take a lose nor a horrible drop in form. All that was needed was a tie game . Do you see the nature of some who call themselves
” supporters “.
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were people actually expecting to win all games? a draw is ALWAYS better than a loss any day… but for the ref, we could still have won though – only that is usually painful in these things, but we are still top, so not bad. we will play the other top teams eventually and that should properly sort out the top. For now, top of the table is just fine by me… long may t continue.
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michu has been called up to spain while arteta has yet to get a call up. why?
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layksite
October 7, 2013 at 12:04 pm
especially one who cant write or read….muaha
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Because Spain are short of strikers and awash with midfielders.Lakesite
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but is busquets better than arteta or just cos he plays in barca?
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The latter TS
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Lucky I did not send a congratulatory card to Syed for his Mourihno put down, the author was in fact Simon Barnes. Enjoy his short stabbing piece below ;
“José Mourinho has just preached a thoroughly worthy sermon on diving. Perhaps he’s totally sincere, but who’s going to believe that? Practically everything he says is for a hidden purpose — veiled attacks, self-justification, destabilisation of opponents, unsettling referees, gibes at various authorities, manipulation of transfer values, contract negotiation, flirtation with potential future employers, buffing up his highly saleable public image — with the result that he’s forfeited the right to be taken seriously on any subject. It’s what happens to games-players.”
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Its good for us that Arteta is ignored by Spain. A terrible injustice to him.
It’s crazy though that the team that’s left still manage to pick up injuries in training while the rest of the lads away with the internationals.
well – no one can say they are not training 100% full on.
Jack was much better in the second half , ironically after he got the yellow – he wasn’t going out of his way looking for a tackle there after.
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It was the kind of game where we can clearly see the need for Theo.
He would have stopped WBA from pushing on to us so hard, or committing so many men to set pieces.
Theo on the halfway line means two if not three opposition players have to stay near him. His speed would meant our counter attacks would have been quicker (obviously).
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Anicoll
Just one old Saxon word would have done to describe Moe.
The lady-parts one.
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Good write-up, George.
I felt very much the same: Wilshere had a terrible first half, and it seemed to be only a matter of time before he got his second yellow. Flamini picked up his obligatory yellow, too, but he seemed to take it in his stride – unlike Anelka with his golden chance. Credit to Wilshere – and the team – for turning things around (OK, not completely) in the second half.
Nice chant after Wilshere’s goal, “He smokes when we wants…”
I have never knowingly been to West Bromwich before. If you like light industrial wasteland, WB is the place for you!
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Yesterday was the first match when we really felt the absence of our injured brethren.
Still, as has been acknowledged, it is progress that we draw, rather than lose, a match like that.
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“… *he* wants…”
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arteta at least deserves to represent spain once before he retires. on merit rather than compassionate ground. he is one of their better players at the moment. that someone plays for barca or madrid does not make him better. but for tata this season, xavi will still be playing ahead of fabregas. most of these barca produced players cant hold their own outside barca. if they dont make it at barca they fail everywhere else.
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flamini dont deserve a yellow for the tackle. he wanted to kick the ball and missed it. if he had kicked the ball and still kicked the player, i am sure the ref will not even call a foul. it is just the belief that flamini is hard that gets him cards just as any tackle by kos in the box is a penalty against us. stereotype.
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It would be great if Arteta could get at least one Spanish cap in his career – model professional, great talent – unfortunately the Spanish have had a great excess of talent across the middle for the past seven-eight years and he has not had a look in – even now the old guard are checking out the youngsters like Alcantara, Muniain and Javi Martinez will step up
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what makes redknapp think he is a better manager than roy. he accused those that run the fa not competent enough to choose a good manager ( i agree ). but the reason he gave was laughable. that non of them own a football club. when has that become a criterion to know a good manager?
worse still he said senior player in england has chosen him. i dont know that ferdinand, terry, rooney and gerrard own a football club.
though he said he was an idiot but it’s like i underestimated his idiocy.
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rosicky has been allowed to skip the international duty. good news.
now i expect wales to do the same.
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For all his positives, Redknapp with his bladder mouth was just a disaster zone FA couldn’t afford to enter. Especially not when the entry ticket was 16 mil.
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By the time the interlull is over Podolski, Santi and Theo will be in or near contention for the first team.
I don’t want to see two holding midfielders together on the pitch for the remainder of the season. I criticize other managers when they do it and I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t criticize Arsene for it.
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Gains
Out holding midfielders have bucketloads of talent.
They are not exactly Vinnie Joneses.
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gains
i will not be pissed to see arteta and flamini together away to dortmund. or madrid and barca on or way to the champions league final. but not against any team in epl. they should be more worried about us not us about them.
players like ozil should worry about how to break a packed defence, not do the packing.
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Personally I’m just glad the current set of midfielders can give us tactical flexibility. That said when all players are back from injury I see Ozil and Ramsey as self picks in the center. That would leave us with either Arteta or Flamini and not both. In Europe or premier league. Granted Ramsey can maintain his form of course.
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DC, did you notice that Flamini was the one who was more often in the front than Arteta on Sunday? I expected it to be the other way around. Arteta did occupy a good position though. He was behind their first line of defence and played passes to the wide players who then passed back to the middle to Ozil and Wilshere. Maybe Flamini went to the front to add that surprise extra player.
Our best technical midfield would probably be Arteta, Ramsey/Diaby and Ozil. Add Cazorla to the front left. It is hard to ignore Rosicky though, because he gives that unique dynamism to our team. He always seems to take us to a higher gear.
The mouth watering thing is that, the midfield roles are so fluid and interchanging that there is room for Cazorla, Ozil and Rosicky to play a good number of games.
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I see they are out burning their wigs in Manchester.
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To be frank I don’t like the Arteta/Flamini starting combo much. Unless we deploy Arteta further up the pitch but I think we have better alternatives for that now. And I think Flamini should only be used as pure defensive midfielder. That’s where he excelled and how he won his place in the team during his last year with us.
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Sens
I noticed Flambo going forward more in the second half.
Maybe 2 reasons, Arteta may have been feeling the pace, and also as Flambo was on a yellow there was a better chance of Arteta doing the tackling for a while, letting Flamini to attack more – were he was less likely to luck up the seconds card.
Apropos – Wenger doesn’t play the team is such a rigid structure, I have said here before that the DM and winger roles are more fluid at Arsenal. Recently, Arsene has agreed with me in a press conference. 🙂
It’s tactical flexibility – as you say.
We had Song going walkabout all the time, and pretending he was a NFL quarterback with his over the top passes to JvC, meanwhile we leaked 49 goals.
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Shit,
Gibbs is in for €a$ley.
Congratulations are in order for him.
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“I don’t want to see two holding midfielders together on the pitch for the remainder of the season. I criticize other managers when they do it and I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t criticize Arsene for it.”
I am not sure that I would describe it like that Gains – Arteta is hardly a traditional holding midfielder and it certainly didn’t stop us playing one of the best attacking games we have played in a long while against Napoli. Arsene probably rolled it out again on Sunday since it worked so well on Tuesday, but it didn’t work as well. I expect that we will only see it when needs must and it will mostly be either/or, not both on most occasions.
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