My fellow Positivitas, another Sunday has rolled round and with our fourth game of the PL season, has settled. I think we are all now a little more confident and able to raise our eyes to look forward and upward.
The game yesterday was predictable in form.
We dominated possession, pushed the home side back throughout the 90 minutes and rendered them impotent (in any genuine football sense), and earned our expected three points. All Toon had to offer was stout defence, which was to their credit, and mindlessly stupid attempts to boot their way back into the game, normally through Coquelin’s shins, which was not. At one point it appeared the Toon players had lost their collective minds as Marriner had to pull out card after card. Had they found themselves down to nine men, or less, then they would have had only themselves to blame.
“Professional” footballers? Don’t make me laugh.
Some comment has been made concerning the sending off and that it had a significant influence on the outcome of the game. I don’t think so. We had dominated the game before the Serbian got his marching orders. We dominated the game exactly the same afterwards. Newcastle were pinned like a butterfly on a mounting board before the 16th minute, they remained pinned to the 93rd minute. I would agree that there are some games when a sending-off can be pivotal, just not yesterday.
Credit to young Francis. I suspect he was targeted by McLaren on the basis that, as a young player, he would lose his head and retaliate. He kept a commendably cool demeanour and let Marriner do his job. I say that maturity and good sense is another indicator of how far, and how fast, the young Frenchman has developed since his return from Charlton.
As for what I thought we did well yesterday I was hugely impressed by the work of both full backs. Defensively they had almost nothing to do but both worked tirelessly to support the attack, to offer an outside option around the Barcodes’ banks of four, and Hector was unlucky to miss out on the penalty that his excellent touch had caused. Both Nacho and Hector used the ball sensibly, passed carefully. A pleasure to watch. Against the lesser sides the attacking contribution of our full backs can be crucial. I would like to see both taking a few pot shots as well.
Good performances from Santi and Aaron, Gabriel sharp and ready to go as a starter, if required.
Less well?
I hardly need to point of the finishing, with Theo and eventually Olly not converting chances that on another day would have given us a far more comfortable afternoon. To be fair to both, only one was a wild miss, with Krul making two good saves for the others. Our lack of quality finishing concerns me, it concerns Wenger, I have no bloody doubt it concerns Theo and Giroud. Hard work needed in training and Danny back after the International break offers the answer, I suspect.
What the opposition did well?
Colloccini is such a good centre back I wonder what he has done wrong to have had to play for Newcastle for the past seven years, especially when you see some of the talentless donkeys signed by CL clubs in England, Spain, Italy and Germany in the years since 2008 (Yes Pepe I am referring to you among others). Coloccini was a rock yesterday in the air and on the ground. Excruciating that the Argentine was the one that deflected in Ox’s shot for the winner yesterday.
I salute you Fabricio as a worthy opponent.
On the “looking upwards” vibe we have slipped into fifth in the table on the strength of probably playing about 85-90% of our potential. Citeh remain the team to beat. Interesting next round of PL games though. We have Stoke at the Ems, assuming they still have 11 players eligible to play.
Elsewhere Manyoo at home to Liverpool, Chelsea at Goodison and most intriguing Citeh travel to Selhurst Park. Both Mancs side face tricky games, and if Chelsea are going to revive, then they face a battle against Everton and a pissed off Martinez after their behaviour with Stones.
Small steps in a long campaign.
Enjoy Sunday!!
*Sir Bobby Robson (as if you didn’t know ) 18 February 1933 – 31 July 2009
Positively Arsenal 
James Vella @jvella7gooner 1h1 hour ago
James Vella retweeted Piers Morgan
Look at the state of this cunt James Vella added,
Piers Morgan @piersmorgan
I’d take Gary Neville tomorrow as Arsenal manager.
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the guys on Match of the Day saying Charlie Austin is set to join Man Utd, and that Utd have also bid €100M for Bale. Cue mass hysteria from the WOB and AAA
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GFFNPressConferences @GFFNPressConf
Robert Pires: “The two most criticised positions are in goal and are upfront. Olivier has accepted those criticisms and dealt with them.”
GFFNPressConferences @GFFNPressConf
Robert Pires: “Didier Deschamps has faith in him, he has shown that. Arsène Wenger also counts enormously on Giroud’s work.”
GFFNPressConferences @GFFNPressConf
Robert Pires: “He (Giroud) is one of the best players in the team. He knows how to score goals.”
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Out for a Corner @OutforaCorner 11h11 hours ago
“I’m frustrated with our players’ imperfections. I want new – preferably expensive – players whose imperfections aren’t yet obvious to me.”
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Remember when some of you melts were begging Wenger to spend £25 million on Michu, He is about to have his contract terminated by Swansea. The same crew are now saying we should go all out for Gomis.
the grass is always greener far away for these kind of people.
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my previous post should have read
Remember when some of melts were begging Wenger to spend £25 million on Michu, He is about to have his contract terminated by Swansea. The same crew are now saying we should go all out for Gomis.
the grass is always greener far away for these kind of people.
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I trust that AW does not at any time take piers Morgan serious and is fully aware that majority back him to continue his good work
the fact Gary can make one or two sensible comments as a pundit is not what gives him managerial abilities… it is not telling on the dearth of sound pundits!
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Someone at the Mirror has been tasked to use data and statistics to mislead the public especially when it comes to the Arsenal. Take a gander at this piece date-lined 8/31/15 at http://tinyurl.com/p7rjw7s. Somehow disaster is imminent because after 4 games (out of 38) we are at a 5.5% conversion rate. Of course that stat was being used to demonize Giroud and Walcott (Poor Theo; after one start he is now judged by many as one step away from the knacker’s yard). Only a fool or a fear-monger would put forward such nonsense. Over the past three years our conversion rate has been consistently 15.7%. These are all years with Giroud and Theo our strikers. Last year they were joined by Sanchez who is a potent goal-scorer. There is no way that the current statistical anomaly can be sustained. It defies nature and will be normalized in due course.
In the silent statistical world, there are no headlines. There are no narratives. No excuses. No hope and no despair. But the football world is full of all of the above. We and the Mirror use the same data but they and their peers, as always, cherry pick certain figures to reinforce certain predictable emotional responses.
As Stray Passenger highlights in his post above, those who are truly knowledgeable know from where the goals will come.
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Only another day and a bit to endure the transfer porn
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Damn. This is the link http://tinyurl.com/pm8u7ab
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Wenger has been photoed in Paris today, people getting excited with the notion that he is there to complete a transfer, but it is far more likely that he is taking a few days back home in France, as he often does during International break.
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Sky Sports News HQ @SkySportsNewsHQ 3m3 minutes ago
BREAKING NEWS: Sky Sources – Real Madrid sign David De Gea from Manchester United. Keylor Navas IS part of the deal
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probably cos of the news Wenger is in Paris, Arsenal are being linked with a €20M deal for PSG midfielder Adrien Rabiot (20)
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They is in an interesting position at the moment. I feel he lacks the experience to really make a mark against the best defences in Europe but certainly has the quality to score against those second tier sides who should be meat and drink to a good striker.
The problem is the second tier clubs tend to pack their defences, and play deep, which means Theo’s speed in taking advantage of a ‘high line’ or a stretched defence is frustrated.
He rarely if ever heads a ball, his hold up play is in and out as far as quality goes.
He needs to develop a new style, and we need a slightly different set up to get what he can do well, hit the back of the net, out of him.
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Allen @Full_Depth 2h2 hours ago
Wow!
United Sold off ALL the Players that Played against MK DONS !!!!
ALL !!!
#MUFC
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Tough to see him getting much time on the pitch but we’ll see, anicoll. He’s kind of our wild card but has yet to really find his niche outside of the odd supersub and start against the rare team that comes to play.
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So looks like any help will come from within England no? Will be an interesting close to the window. I sense a Mourinhoesque swoop to piss off a rival if anything.
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loomer just cos the window closes in most countries tonight, it does not mean we can not sign players from those countries
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reports in France say that Monaco claim that Utd are paying €80M (£48.4M) for Martial, if true the football world has gone completely mad.
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that should be £58.4M, not £48.4M
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I heard it was 36mil Eduardo, but agree, it has gone mad. He cost more than Alexis!
And Urs have paid 22mil for someone I have never heard of. It is all getting stupid, the answer must be increased emphasis on developing players, let the likes of City and Utd take these inflated gambles.
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Above…Spurs have paid 22 mil ….
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reports in spain says that the De Gea move to Real Madrid did not get completed in time, that deal agreed on all sides but that the paper work did not get sent in time.
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Chelsea beat out Trabzonspor and Celta Vigo for a defender from FC Nantes. Now I want to hear the AAA talk shit about how easy it is to get players if enough cash is splashed.
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That Martial transfer reeks of awful deal. United just paid six million pounds less for that kid than we did for Ozil.
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Still remember those people who slagged us who defended Arsene Wenger for refusing to getting into mindless bidding war with City, Chelsea, United and, once upon a time, Liverpool. Look how far United have been sucked into transfer lunacy; £36 million plus add-ons for an unproven 19 year-old kid. Mark this day on your calendar, it signals the day Manchester United firmly took the road to disaster. It is coming, sooner or later.
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You look at the lovely football ground built in a few short years by the supporters of FC Utd after the club that they once supported was turned into an obvious debt relief fund for the Glazers and you think to yourself: I bet they are glad that they got out whilst they still could.
The above consideration casts a revealing and an enlightening light upon the self-promoting bleating AAAA who use any and every opportunity such as today for self-promotion.
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The one thing I find odd about the Arseblogger is his inability to simply admit that AFC operate in a different market. And have done since before AWs arrival.
He talks about “market rates” in his latest podcast. But doesn’t clarify the record over the decades. AFCs history. People can be misled by such a podcast.
Why can’t people bounce their inflated footballs in public whilst admitting that this club does not operate in the same market as a petro-club? Or the Glazers’ parody of the club in Manchester?
What are they scared of?
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I agree Loomer that Theo and the role of regular central striker seem far apart at the moment. He lacks the experience of the job and the PL is a damn difficult place for players to learn a new job, particularly one as pivotal as centre forward.
He is however an intelligent and experienced footballer, and we are an intelligent club, well used to manipulating what we have got to achieve the desired end. Perhaps Theo needs to have another look in the way he tries to operate as a conventional central striker and tries other ways. For example coming deeper to drag markers out of position, for example occasionally trying to head the ball, especially at the near post, or try a few more snapshots from the edge of the box.
Equally have we really found a way to supply Theo enough with the ball in potentially dangerous positions ? I would say in some games yes, in others no.
I think we need the application of Wenger’s huge brain to crack the dilemma of Theo.
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Andrew – Theo was on fire just prior to his big injury during the Spurs game and I don’t recall his contribution being under huge scrutiny. At that exact point I felt our ability to challenge for the title had been fatally compromised and so it proved.
What’s changed?
I suspect the apparent cementing of his desired role as centre-forward has become the complicating factor. For me, his great strength is as an attacking winger cutting in. Preferably on the break. Games featuring opposition buses and lengthy spells of AFC possession don’t necessarily work in his favour. In this respect I’d consider Theo a squad player, the kind of player most likely to thrive in games against teams confident in taking us on. So a big game player, which is hardly a negative. And in this respect, Theo proves to me the strength in depth this squad already enjoys. Horses for courses, and all that.
The difficulty – and the dilemma’s – come when players (eg Chambers), are considered valuable squad components but lack game time so that when they do finally play, their match fitness (their first touch, speed of reaction etc) ends up temporarily compromised. There’s been evidence of this in recent games for both players and their relative lack of ‘readiness’ has led to more than a couple of Twitter meltdowns.
I see no real solution to this in the early days of the new season, but have every confidence that the entire squad will settle down once the games start to hit us three times a week. And when that happens, our diversity of talent, attributes and abilities will combine with squad stability and cohesion to stand us in very good stead indeed.
The current transfer window hysteria will then seem scarcely believeable and more than a few observers are likely to emerge with egg on their ever-reddening faces.
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Fins: Ablogger is playing the middle-of-the road game and tbf he has done it really well over the past 10 years. He never strays too far from the mainstream even if it is destructive to the club. Some of us can remember the Ade-Eboue-Song bashing that he was happy to engage in when those guys were symbols for the attacks on Wenger and the board when they had to sign cheap, young talent after the move to the new stadium. Unlike our old friends, however, he was careful not to become a fully signed up member of the End-of-An-Era brigade. Well played to him. His blog has thrived while they are barely hanging on.
But his football ideas are just as wacky as most of the rest of podcasters. He was the primary advocate earlier this year that Santi was expendable and spreading the rumor that he was going back to Spain this summer. Wenger put paid to all that by putting on record that our little midfield wizard was his player of the 2014-15 season. Now he is has become the leading Theo-basher, virtually questioning the manger’s views that Theo can become a central.
As for his idea, and many others, that prices in the transfer market are set by market forces and are unavoidable betrays a naivety that is criminal for someone who has such a mass following. It betrays either naivety or virtual ignorance. Even an elementary economist would simply laugh at the idea that this is a true “market”. (1) Restricted to 3-months of the year, (2) No freedom of buyers and sellers, (3) Multiple intermediaries such as agents clubs, and national associations adding costs to every sale, (4) No freedom of information about the product, (5) Non-football entities such as sovereign wealth funds and oligarchs with significant non-football wealth invested in clubs for non-commercial purposes. This is a recipe for the madness that Manchester United has been sucked into.
Knowing Ablogger he will stay in the middle, throw some barbs at both sides and follow the wind as it blows.
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Theo was indeed on fire Andrew prior to his ligament injury in January 2014 and from the first 5-2 drubbing of Spurs at the beginning of 2012 over those two years he had (finally) produced the sort of contribution a player of his quality should be producing to the side, on the wing and cutting in. Before then, apart from his legion of fitness problems and injuries, he had been too anonymous in too many games. All the more frustrating because on occasions he could be decisive. Afterwards he was a key player.
The notion that somehow Theo could/should have been playing central striker “for the past 5 years”, peddled by Ian Wright, is total tosh. Five years ago he was struggling to earn the chance to play on the right wing.
As for his ambitions to be a central striker I understand what he is getting at but I do not think he is going about it the right way. He is , yo my eye at least, taking up the position of a typical centre forward, but is not equipped to play that role. Although he is quick he is too often back on his heels, and he cannot as far as I can see head a ball. His one on one finishing also needs a lot of work. BUT he could get there, if he begins to play to his strengths.
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I think with Walcott’s performance in the FA cup game against Spurs there were considerations that are still valid:
A) derby game at Home in a cup competition, a more open fixture.
B) the familiarity or synchronicity of playing with current team mates. Walcott had been out for a spell with an injury prior to that FA cup game, but not for more or less a season. His teammates were familiar and used to playing with him. Since the there have been long spells with OG as the striker and we in some moments during games without OG on the pitch that one of the major challenges for the players this season is to adapt to whoever is playing at CF
e.g.: If you’re going to lump it up to beat the press when the big lump isn’t playing then why not lump it all the way, all the way over the top…?
I enjoyed Welbeck’s celebration of his winner at OT. Like Theo at times on Saturday Danny Welbeck wasn’t being fed when he demanded it during that match and the frustration was there to be read in that celebration.
After that long spell out for Walcott he and Welbeck are in the same boat, they need to build up those old automatisms with the players behind them when playing at CF.
The returned Walcott is not averse to playing on the right (Sunderland home last season) or even the left (from where he scored during the cup final) and it could be a fair punt to put your chips down on a few assists from Walcott to Giroud (Tottenham Özil goal, early Munchen goal in Munich etc…) this season.
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I don’t think anyone expects instant success at Arsenal, perhaps just the possibility of it in the next 20 years. I’m quite happy to wait that long, no longer though because I’ll probably be dead beyond that.
Of course winning the FA Cup is a measure of success but I think we all hope we can really go for the league; shame this year looks again like an impossibility as I don’t think anyone seriously believes a club that finished several points behind City and Chelsea and has just made one significant signing in comparison to the other two will march off with the league. Of course we know it’s hard to sign quality, we’ve been told this and people have to remember that having 80 million in the bank is nothing compared to the money City, Chelsea and Manu have. Still we’re above the champions and have won both away games.
That Newcastle game is probably indicative of how many teams will play us seeing as we seem to have very little imagination when it comes to breaking down defensive teams. It certainly doesn’t look like Walcott playing striker is the answer, just about everyone who’s seen him play knows that’s not his best position. We just don’t have the calibre of striker that City and Chelsea have and until one becomes available, if ever, then we’ll just lack that cutting edge.
I’m sure we’ll find our feet and get up and running with real purpose and have City looking over their shoulder worryingly in the new year. With Wenger we march on, slowly, cautiously but ever hopeful.
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The was an article I’d been cooking up on the players adapting to whoever plays at cf being the most intriguing think to look out for this season.
I was hoping it would’ve been an intersting and welcome Footy Chat as opposed to to the orchestrated bleating we witness that consistently can be seen to ignore the actual Football.
Don’t really have the time, the above comment typos included on Welbecek and Walcott is the best that I can do!
That performance against Tottenham was inspiring because we saw a squad that could adapt. Once they settle down into their rhythms is l expect the same from this current squad (no Gnabry, who’d settled in well that season but is now on the comeback from a long spell out with injury etc. – a frustrated slightly selfish but understandable performance on debut for the Brummies from Gnabry after so long out the game)
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As per the last foew odd seasons the Arsenal-City games will be the best football games in the league, though clubs lower down the league are playing better and better football. Taking Swansea’s lead.
Maybe not full of incident, hopefully free of dodgy offside calls like the away game two years ago, but simply the highest quality players playing the best football and the most intersting tika-tactics on the park thanks to the two best managers.
I understand that the great and the good have their focus on their favourite special agents’ commissions today, but I’m just looking forward to the football.
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I wouldn’t declare that Gazprom’s forwards are better then AFCs.
Because they aren’t.
Don’t believe me? Check the stats at the end of this season.
Whilst the media goes into a meltdown over “strikers” the highly respected manager Manuel “the engineer” Pellegrini having resisted the temptation at first finally takes the plunge with his squad and remodels them away from playing two up on a more regular basis to having players like Sterling or de bruyne or Chamberlain or Özil behind a forward. In short, the City manager has been copying his old mucker Arsene Wenger, again (like all the good managers they appear to copy each other).
I could be wrong and we might see them play Bony and Aguero more often together but the evidence this season appears to indicate the above.
Navas who is a decent player is still not as productive as any of the options AFC have for the same position. None of them!
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21 goals for Costa in 37 apps
19 goals for Giroud in 36 apps
If you feel compelled to consider “the quality of chances” in those figures, then don’t be a dick pardon moi and try to airbrush out the “red cards not given by dodgy refs” stat too.
19 goals (inc. spot kicks?) in 52 for Hazard
25 goals in 53 for Sanchez
“We just don’t have the calibre of striker that City and Chelsea have”
Is a misleading comment.
If you want to beat yourself up please do not do it here.
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City have have Aguero, Silva, their skipper & Y.Toure.
Aguero is streets ahead of any other out and out striker in the PL these past few years. Gazprom don’t have a player even close to him. Falcao can still head the ball but he can no longer run (bit like the F Word, Terry, Ivanovic…).
Take those key players out the team, sluggish spells recovering from injuries, like last season, and it’s a bit like taking Özil or Sanchez, Ramsey and Koscielny out the Arsenal line up.
City’s spending this season has been made to provide them with more depth. To plan for the future. That’s where it is hard to compete.
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There was one transfer that caught the eye:
Douglas Costa to Munchen.
When Mendes and Mourinho first went to roman to ask for the roubles to buy Willian did they pretend that they weregpingto buy the good Brazilian from Donetsk? Did they attempt the same trick again on their owner when they went back for D(iego).Costa?
Fortunately for football fans in the UK Gazprom splurged another cool thirty odd million on the crap (or absurdly overpriced) Brazilian from Donestk and not the good one.
But he’s been snapped up Munchen. A good signing.
Not being a knockout game we might see some interesting experiments from both managers in those CL group games. And it’ll be interesting if the patterns follow on from previous games:
Will Guardiola mess about with Muller and nearly gift the tie to arsenal, again?
Walcott gets plenty of critisom but for reasons that can be found on a football pitch he is a player that Guardiola will remember. Will he be used off the bench or the start, alongside OG? Are they playing poker or football!
Lots to look forward to.
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Hi Fins – Be assured you are not speaking to yourself. It is noticeable that if we did like most blogs, bashing Wenger and offering transfer advice, there would be experts from all corners of the earth piling on. The newspapers and TalkSports know that mindless drivel and transfer speculation attract the mass of lemmings.
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the attention seekers are organizing a Wenger out protest at the Emirates tonight at 7, note that they have chosen 7 so that if AFC have signed players by 6 they can call off their stupid protest.
The WOB who suddenly became ITK on transfers this summer, are going full on in their little fraud game, all summer long they have been banging the drum about the big name players they knew AFC were in for, and as one after another of these fake stories were proved wrong, as these lot knew they would be, they have blamed Wenger for the failure of each and everyone of the fake transfers, and now they are going full on with their last kick of the transfer window with the fake ITK news that Cavani is available at £50M but that WENGER is refusing to allow the deal to go through.
A very calculated little game the WOB are playing, and of course the nodding dogs have fallen for it.
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it seems that Bellerin has been promoted to the full Spain squad, he had been called up to the U21’s but now reports say he is in the senior squad.
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Steve
@goonersteve12
I spent £2000 on Arsenal last season. Might not seem alot to some people but I have a son too look after. We deserve alot better #Arsenal
Imagine that.
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I know they call it the silly season, and on this the silliest day of the silly season I think some of the AAA and WOB have outdone themselves, the pick of which for me was
“Its disrespectful to the fans for Wenger and Arsenal not to buy the players we need”
pot, kettle, blackarse, springs to mind. They demonstrate a total lack of self awareness.
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I really love this gem from the AAA/WOB
“How are we supposed to have genuine faith this Season”
it seems someone needs to learn what faith is.
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have to love the media nonsense today too, the very same outlets that only an hour ago said they had talked to PSG and were told that they would not be selling any player and that this was their stance since Friday, are now running with a story claiming that “PSG tell AFC that they will sell them Zlatan(for the right fee)”
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So:
According to rumour and Spanish hack Pipi Estrada LVG went to war with Special Agent Mendes ( Spanish speakers will know more ), but you bet your bottom or last petro-dollar that the transfermongers won’t be referring that as they hunt for the clicks and laugh at Looney Louis.
For the same reasons that they never, ever, mention why AFC operate in a different market, the one where they don’t appear to bid for let alone ever sign a Mendezian mule. I could be wrong but I can’t imagine or remember AFC signing up one of his players. Cech?
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New post is up
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Being realistic, we were never likely to sign a striker.
Giroud is probably the best in Europe at what he does, and to improve the team, Wenger really needed to spend big, and that means the elite players, but none were available.
He can’t sign them if their clubs don’t want to sell. Arsenal aren’t like the other three, in that they will pay a fair market valuation, not double what a player is worth.
Still think this will be a good season.
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