@LaboGoon leads us to the South coast
After going through the yawns of international breaks “tis’ the season” of football jolly as the games just keep rolling in.
Good day one and all…
Arsenal is at the South Coast this afternoon to take on Southampton under new manager Ralph Husenhattl; this of course is his first game in front of the St Mary’s faithful following the recent sacking of the sparkless Mark Hughes.
The Gunners are currently sitting outside of a Champions League qualifying spot on goal difference behind Chelsea, both started the weekend trailing Spurs by two points. With our neighbours having beaten Burnley and the Blues favourites at Brighton, the pressure will be on Unai Emery’s side to get all three points as the battle between the three London rivals look like it is going to be very close.
Considering the form the Gunners are in many see this as a bread and butter encounter, but we have been hot and cold against the Saints in recent years. We won three and drew one of our last four meetings in all competitions, however, we won just one of our last seven trips to St Mary’s (D4-L2). Something Ralph no doubt will be reminding his team about to give them the belief that they can get something from this fixture.
It’s going to take something special though as their only recent sign of life was the first 20 minutes vs Manchester United in a game that ended 2-2. Their defense has been rather pasty all season, having conceded 30 goals in 16 Premier League games and their attack even more anaemic as their main strikers netted only 6 of the 13 Saints goals between them, Danny Ings top scorer with 4.
The free scoring Arsenal will look to exploit the hosts’ defensive issues who will miss a few regular starters through injury. We have a few issues of our own with the suspensions of both Mustafi and Sokratis leaving a hole at the back, but should Lichtsteiner, Koscielny and Monreal start as the back three, the experience between them should do to keep the Saints attack at arms length, the only breach possibly coming through mea culpa.
Do the Gunners have too much for the Saints?
The appointment of Ralph Hasenhuttl, who was on the radar of Bayern Munich not too long ago, is likely to be a breath of fresh of air down at St Mary’s as they are looking to drag themselves out of the pit which they have dug themselves in to, so at the least we should expect his players to put their best foot forward with a committed performance today.
Which makes things a bit tricky for the Gunners not really knowing what to expect as games tend to go up against a new man. But we are on a good run, mixing it up dominating teams and grinding out results, and will be looking to take advantage as the Austrian are still settling in.
Good luck to all Gooners watching the games today and if I’m forced to stick my neck out, I think the home crowd will definitely bring the noise but in cold and wet conditions with the hosts on a 12 game winless streak… we may just edge it.
Positively Arsenal 
Any man who can spell ‘Husenhattl’ is worth a mention in despatches
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Good stuff!
It’s probably just my mind playing tricks and I’d imagine it all ‘evens out in the end’ but I do feel we get a large share of the ‘first game against a new manager at home’ games.
Given, of course, we had only 1 new manager in over 2 decades I guess we have to play against new managers more than others play against ours, so perhaps best to ignore this comment.
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Morning Positively Goonerai’s, hope your’e all well this morn. Many thanks to LaboGoon for a mighty fine intro to the day.
Heres to Wrecking Ralphs plans!
ps Hasenhüttl means the “hares little hut”. Hüttl is Austrian dialect for hut.
COYG!
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Özil and Ramsey to start today and really keep the Saints stuck on back foot. Being restraint in the preview I do hope its happy hour today at St Mary’s.
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Steve, reckon that one can be filed under mind tricks or is a product of amount of and kind of attention focused on our games by us versus the rest.
I think or at least hope that’s a factor for me in all number of things, including impression I have of managers talking about getting stuck into us so much more than with other teams.
Side note: I’ve forgotten name of regular poster who left here in blaze of anger couple of weeks ago, but have a sneaky feeling he has turned up, with different name, on Shotta’s blog to leave a similarly angry post in comments of latest piece.
The photo- blurry, ominous, distorted- looks familiar somehow.
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Rich do you have a link please?
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Good morning and good to see Steve arguing with himself already (maybe his had a few to many Early Christmas drinks.
This is the ultimate banana skin, a poor record, away after europe, new manager at home, two hard games nex, 5 CB’s out and of course Lucas one booking away from a ban (this will be deceided by the PGMOL whether they want him to miss the puds game or the pool game as to when he actually gets booked).
So with everything against us how can we possibly win, well we have been increadbly unlucky over the past few seasons and if the sun is shinning we just get the luck we need to carry us over the line.
When the back line is disrupted it tends to have an effect on the midfield and the wingbacks going forward so I think when we do get chances we will have to be clinical today especially Auba who has been wasteful of late. It will be interesting, once again, to see the line up today and how were approching the game.
We have enough up top to finish anyone off if we can keep it tight at the back and provide the ammunition for our players to score even our defenders The Boss to score the winner on his PL return now wouldn’t that be a dream COYG.
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test
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Andy ive lost a comment, dont know what happenned
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have a feeling we might see a surprise inclusion at CB today, Carl Jenkinson
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Found It Ian
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Morning Ian, just out for a morning stroll so not sure what happened to your comment. Yet again one of yours ends up in the “waiting for approval”. No idea why.
As for the Lucas yellow card situation I don’t think a yellow today would affect him for Wednesday as there is a new system whereby cards in other domestic competitions do not transfer. I would not be too sorry to see him muss the TH and the Burnley games however, the boy needs a rest, so if you see him whip his shirt off after 89 minutes don’t be surprised. It seems to me he would be first name on the team sheet for both the Brighton and the Anfield game so whatever is required to that end is OK with me.
The big question today is whether Mesut starts. Surely this is the type of game our midfield maestro can shine in ?
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a_o_b if Torreira gets booked its a BPL game he misses not the CC game,
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looks like Xhaka is at left wing back, well that is if we are playing with 3 CB’s, Kolasinac not in the squad
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COYG!
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Seem to remember Mesut almost scoring goal of the season at St. Mary’s in his debut season. A foul and rainy night which ended all square I think. A mazy run followed by hitting the bar. Spurs would probably have released a DVD so nearly good it was.
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I expect we will kick bum today…..
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Not sure if Unai is going for his favourite Hlebian 4231ish variations or the 343/352 more recent variations but I greatly appreciated his handling of Koscielny, in addition to hs handling of the Cech/Leno & Wilshere scenarios etc.
Koscielny, one who turned down the Bayern’s and Barca’s when they came calling, and stayed for glory with the Arsenal. I could empathise for him missing out on that WC winners medal. The news is encouraging, the physios out there told us he was going to have a free return after a period of prolonged rest, it is good to see him smiling and not grimacing whilst playing footy!
Our straight talking new gaffer is fairly straightforward is he not? Apart from the obvious old skool fitness training variation he is on and off the pitch much like the old gaffer. Viva la revolution!
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Looks like disrupting fouls off the ball going on, Kos targeted early
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one-nil down, soon we will be two-one up.
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Q: How do you explain the lack of a yellow for the foul on the player just back from big injury which leads to him hobbling, and then a goal resulting from having a hobbled defender (partially) for the Home team?
A: You can’t!
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fins it called “game managemet” by the pgmol
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theres one.
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mkhitaryan has us level, and we go oh so close to taking the lead
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should have been a card then.
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Dave called it!
COYG.
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Elbow in Torreira’s back. No yellow. Think I might head down to the bookies and put a punt on the arsenal having to Sub off an injured player.
What are the odds?
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cfc 2-0 up at brighton
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far too fucking easy for southampton to score there, awful stuff
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two-one down. Soon will be three two up.
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Hectors going off.Another defender crocked. Bah! Grrr!
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Yet another pre half time shooting in the foot, although there is the mitigating factor of an very rusty defence.
As for the ref, it is his duties to protect players, he is failing to do so, and failing to apply the laws of the game, as we regularly see.
Teams know they will have to do something extreme against up in the first half to be carded for these fouls.
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I would give our performance during the first half just 4 out of 10. And I’m being quite generous I think.
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Bellerin hobbling off, AMN to come on whenever he is ready
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Well not what anyone wanted. Unai will sort it out: the HT talk, a bit of change, and then we will do the biz.
COYG!
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HT: southampton 2-1 Arsenal
awful performance in that half, two soft goals conceded, its now 17 BPL games this season and we have not led one at HT yet.
our play is slow and timid, and we were poor on both their goals.
a much better second half performance will be needed if we are to win this game, or even get anything out of this game
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Two quite similar goals, sloppy.
Defence aside , may Need Lacca and Ozil/Ramsey to help out here.
Characteristically poor first half
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COYG
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Well, let’s hope today not the day we can’t turn it around second half.
Odd affair. Quite subdued, punctuated by a few good moves down sides. Rotten time to concede 2nd.
Were the goals just perfect crosses, perfect headers, or did our defensive re-organisation play a big part. I always wonder on those ones whether a defensive colossus could have reached ball to head away.
Disappointed to see bright young ref seems much the same as the old gang. They got a lift before the 1st after a period of leaving foot in whenever possible. Kos one in particular looked bookable, and scummy on a player just back (by a guy who has suffered tremendously with injury himself)
They must know the advantage rule gives little or no advantage each time, and is a disadvantage overall, if you are using it regularly to allow free late hits.
Didn’t see what did for Bellerin but good chance it was another late hit.
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one has to give credit to soton as they have harried our players very effectively.
The 3 at the back is not working.
If AMN is on, then I think that Lichsteiner will go to fullback and we will have the extra man in midfield.
This game is ripe for a loss.
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our biggest problem on both their goals was lack of pressure on the crosser of the ball,
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Arsenal bring on Lacazette for Bellerin, so looks like a change to a back 4 for the second half
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Bellerin off injured. Squids in! Easy money. I should open my own bookies!
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Dave, that was link from earlier. Only comment there so far. Let me know if you think that photo’s familiar or if I’ve just imagined it (in a nightmare maybe).
http://uniteforvar.com
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I’m not sure it is worthwhile watching the first half of our games any more.
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PEA needed to do better there
monreal down injured
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Rich-not your imagination, youre right.
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surely not a yellow for Soton?
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