Good morning all you positives.
We go into today’s game with me not having a clue what team will play, what players will play and what shape we will adopt. So anyone hoping for the least little bit of insight can stop reading now.
For a while it looked like we had jumped on the “3 at the back” bandwagon permanently. Now it seems less sure. I’ve noticed that when Arsene wants the team to buck up, he makes a change to the tried and tested 4 across. The 3 seemed to play to the strengths of Xhaka and Ramsey, but recent results, and performances, have not give much confidence that it was more than a fleeting glimpse of a working partnership. The problem is that those two don’t seem to work too well in a 4 2 3 1 either.However they are both top class and I really can’t imagine a best 11 without either of them in it.
So what to do?
Go 4 3 3 and introduce Francis? It would make us stronger in the middle and offer more protection to a 4 at the back, but leaves us shoehorning the 3 (who I suspect will be first choice) of Lacazette, Alexis and Ozil ,into the front 3, meaning Ozil will be asked to play wide right.
So all in all, just about anything could happen. But whatever happens, it really has to work. Another bad result, with Chelsea away, up next, will see a meltdown not seen since Pompeii.
However often we tell ourselves that its a minority of fans that are against Arsene, the board, the team and Doris the tea lady, there are definitely enough to put the cat among the pigeons if the worst, or anything near the worst, happens this afternoon.
Make no mistake, it may only be game 4, and it may only be Bournemouth at our gaff, but this game is huge.
Lets just hope all goes well, otherwise I’m building a bomb shelter.
P.S. I’m sure it will.
Positively Arsenal 
only downer was Coquelin coming off injured after coming on as a sub, not sure what injury he has.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Last time I checked twitter Welbeck is shit and Arsene is incredibly negligent to play him back into form.
The only place to not tolerate such nonsense was Positively Arsenal especially Finsbury who stood four square behind letting Welbeck recover from his injury and reclaim his place as the leading English striker today.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Well that was a relief.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Welbeck was a beast today, best I’ve seen him play, not just the goals, but off the ball running and tracking back. He just needs to start doing that on a consistent basis.
Lacazette spoiled the protest by scoring on the 27th minute, which was accompanied by a chorus of “we love you Arsenal”. Not a soul left. Hopefully the ASB’s stayed away and will continue to do so
LikeLiked by 4 people
Coq looks like a ‘Hammy’ best guess 21 days
LikeLike
The two-man midfield needs someone with Welbeck’s kind of work-rate. He’s made for Wengerball too as he’s happy to come short, makes good choices and his touch is clean. All the stuff he does outside the box more than makes up for the odd scuffed finish. And the iffy finishing has probably just been rust, as the third goal showed.
I prefer him on the left too, which might cause selection problems, as you can’t drop him now. Europa League could be a useful way of keeping the forward options happy actually.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Going to sound like I’m reacting to one performance, but he really is my AFC favourite player. Not that I think he’s the best talent, just that he’s a good fit for the team and has a great attitude.
LikeLiked by 4 people
shotta_gooner
I have called Welbeck an ‘Austerity’ purchase and I stand by the statement
His goal record is worse than Gervinho(So skillful , but you never knew when he would make a bad touch and mess it up) per game, Gervinho was run out of town.
But there are many things to admire in Welbeck’s game.
I said I would happily keep Welbeck let Walcott(20 goals last season ) for a striker upgrade, that is how valuable I think he is.
Injuries have harmed his progress ,the habit that kills him is ,
He is always falling over when he shoots, he does not make great shapes when is shooting.
LikeLike
Lacazette makes great shapes
LikeLiked by 2 people
WwwB, put Welbeck wide, where I think AW prefers to play him, and he lifts the whole team just with his enthusiasm and interplay.
I genuinely think AW had liked followed Welbeck for a long time and couldn’t believe ManU were happy to sell so cheap.
Not that he isn’t without his faults, and finishing is the main one. But I was surprised at how nuanced his game can be outside the box. it’s a shame we haven’t been able to see him very often.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Birdy
If he could score at even Pires rate, I would be happier.
LikeLike
Ptres rate costs you £100m
LikeLiked by 1 person
We also got Pires at his peak. Welbeck is only now the same age Pires was when we came to the club. Welbeck is more of a Ljungberg too, but in this small sample he’s posting peak Ljungberg figures this season.
He’s finally got a proper preseason behind him, and now he just needs a run of good health.
LikeLike
Ljungberg figures?
Steady Birdy!
LikeLike
Sorry, WwwB I don’t know what I was thinking.
Three in four is better than Ljungberg.
LikeLike
Gazidis told the fans forum today that there has been lots of changes st the club, just because no new manager doesn’t mean no change. Darren Burgess from Adelaide (fitness), Jens Lehmann added to first team coaching staff, Per Mertesacker’s academy move.
nice to see Ivan hit the nail on the head – just cos no new manager does not mean no changes have been made – clearly pointing out who is lashing out at the club and why.
LikeLike
on Alexis receiving a ‘mixed reception’…
We have to accept those responses from people. I don’t know why [there were jeers]. The best way to get people on your side is to perform.
on Alexis seeming unhappy at full-time…
I don’t know. I had a chat with him after the game and he didn’t look unhappy. Maybe it’s because he wanted to score. The interpretation of the attitudes is always very dangerous.
on whether the players give him the indication that they will battle for him…
Yes. I love my players, that’s true, but I want them to play for the club and for themselves as well. They have individual targets to win things. That’s what we want.
on whether Shkodran Mustafi wanted to leave on deadline day…
He wanted to stay. Look at his performance today.
on Francis Coquelin…
He has a hamstring [problem]. I don’t know how bad it is but he’s certainly out for next week’s game.
on whether that gives Jack Wilshere a chance…
I told you in the [pre-match] press conference that he’s getting stronger and stronger. The fact that Francis is now out gives him a chance as well.
on whether Wilshere could feature on Thursday…
I don’t know yet. He’s not far from that.
Read more at https://www.arsenal.com/news/wenger-gives-latest-francis-coquelin#ZI9wHJg7PGp2SjQo.99
Read more at https://www.arsenal.com/news/wenger-gives-latest-francis-coquelin#AddwIVBj9iOiuKGt.99
Read more at https://www.arsenal.com/news/best-way-get-people-side-perform#1Duc2wREpwLcL0Ly.99
Read more at https://www.arsenal.com/news/best-way-get-people-side-perform#aH6MZd47ucBZuvJi.99
LikeLike
A couple of my tweets earlier today:
“Arsene always starts new signings at home as part of their integration into the PL. Don’t expect that info fr the MSM, twitter & bloggers.”
I later added to the above:
“Journos, bloggers, twitter experts are too busy in a futile effort to prove they are smarter than Arsene Wenger.”
LikeLiked by 5 people
WWWB: It is too early to be dismissive of Welbeck. He does a lot more that Gervinho in running the channels on the left, giving defenders fits and we are beginning to see him score goals as his confidence grows. With a full pre-season behind him and a run of games he could very well become LANS.
Finsbury has always argued that point.
LikeLiked by 3 people
spot on shotta, just look at the reaction to the win today, it was all, “look what happens when you start a striker as a striker” and shit like that, lets forget that Welbeck was man of the match with 2 goals and an assist, and he started v Liverpool, and who was his partner at Anfield, none other than one man team Alexis, little things like that get brushed under the carpet, but why should we expect fans to be different when “we only say what we see” ex player pundits lead the way with same old shite.
what ever happened to this top pundit – say what you see
LikeLiked by 3 people
Only £100 million George? Neymar coming in from the left is much like Bobby Pires, a sleeker version perhaps. Thats 200 million big ones right there.
LikeLike
Eddie: When I point out these truths on twitter, e.g.. Wenger never starts new players on the road, the silence on twitter is deafening, no rts, no likes, nothing. But let the legends and the uber bloggers post some non-factual, doom-mongering shit and the lemmings are all over it. We need more truth-tellers on twitter who don’t care about temporary popularity.
LikeLiked by 2 people
shotta_gooner
As I said I like Welbeck and would play him and keep him over Walcott’s 20 goals.
as he makes players around him work better.
LikeLike
well shotta the one thing that is clear since the rise of the internet age, is that there is one hell of an amount of football fans who actually know almost nothing about the game, and have even less understanding of it. so soundbites, opinions and falsehoods repeated by the media are taken as facts.
The Mane sending off today showed the level of knowledge and lack of truth in the media, as it was a LFC player, its all no red card, even seen the couple of old tried and tested bullshit soundbites trotted out to defend him
“wasn’t a yellow in my day” – yes it fucking was, always been a red card offense to endanger an opponent with a reckless challenge, at least get it right, it might not have been called in your day, but that did not mean it was still not the rule.
“it was a big game so ref should have considered that, as sending off spoiled the spectacle” – its not the refs job to consider the occasion, the game, etc, he is there to enforce the rules. If anyone should have considered the occasion and not risked spoiling the game it was Mane. Ref was spot on with his decision.
“not a sending off as he had his eyes on the ball” – learn the fucking rules, his intent to injury or to play the ball has not bearing on the sending off, it only has on the length of suspension, its was reckless, not malicious, he could have actually killed the keeper with that challenge, is that what is going to take.
“he is not that type of player” – no one fucking is till they actually do it, and then they are that kind of player, so he fucking is that kind of player.
LikeLiked by 5 people
I know it’s an “if my Aunt had bollocks” thing, but if there was ant justice we would be sitting on 9 points.
LikeLiked by 5 people
Liverpool aside, you are absolutely right PG. We should be 3 wins.
Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda. Indeed.
LikeLiked by 2 people
imagine people saying that is not a red card offense, even some gooners who say both Xhaka sending offs were dead cert reds, are defending that challenge, its almost as if their desire to attack all things AFC means that not only does their reason fail them in dealing with AFC things, but it means that they have to abandon reason when judging rival’s players too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
you know it was a good job that the GG team had the Tuesday club, going on the shit Adams, Merson, Dixon, Wright, Keown etc spout, it had to help being drunk, if they had stayed sober all their bollocks would have ruined team morale.
LikeLike
Man Utd have failed to win at Stoke since Alex Ferguson retired. 3 different managers have all failed to win there.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Wenger was asked today about the claims that Ivan Gazidis has moved his office to London Colney, something that had the ASB delighted, AW’s reply will not please them as much, AW said that Ivan’s office is at Highbury House, and that there is an office at London Colney that is used by anyone, including Ivan, who visits London Colney from Highbury House.
LikeLike
Arsenal win today so are way down the running order on MOTD
LikeLiked by 1 person
That was better.
They are reading things into office locations, desperate!
LikeLiked by 5 people
Awesome win today. Kolasinac was just pure class today. I believe if he would’ve started against Liverpool, we wouldn’t have lost. The man is the epitome of an iron fist in a velvet glove. The fact that he’s that good and is only twenty four is unbelievable. He’s better than bloody Luke Shaw.
Title winners elect dropped points against Stoke and Chelsea beat Leicester by one goal. The sky is not falling after all.
LikeLiked by 3 people
‘A harrowing afternoon but Liverpool’s brutal reality check must be put in context’ Is the headline from Phil M on the BBC.
Me I say that is the truth = put it in context by all means but where is that headline concerning Arsenal?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Interesting one for VAR watch yesterday.
Was watching last few minutes of Dortmund game. Cross came in, defender cleared, that seemed to be it. Home team- Freiburg- had a precious battling point. Dortmund attacker was lying prone on floor.
Took me a moment to twig that VAR was then being used.
Anyway, he was caught by an arm as both players jumped alongside each other. For me a maybe, maybe not…probably not…hope he doesn’t give it. My main thought was that it was so strange, such a big departure from all that’s been before, for the match to be in the balance at that moment in that way.
Anyway, good old German officiating. They agreed with me, not quite a pen, not sure enough, so no pen.
However, boy, is this going to change football, generate some enormous controversies, and, my fear, take our pain to new places and levels on occasion (mainly only if pgmol are what i think they are).
I’m still in favour of it, but no mistake, it is no panacea, and it has the potential to…well, it will be pgmol guys deciding whether to look at things and then making decisions after that
LikeLiked by 3 people
new post up
LikeLike