I sat down at 5.55 PM , with my chilli and chips on my knee, are readied myself to watch what was a very strong Arsenal 11 about to play a very poor team from somewhere far off towards the east that hadn’t played a game for two months, I expected an efficient display and perhaps some scintillating stuff, perhaps even a large dose swash and some buckle.
Needless to say what was served up was about as far away from that as can be imagined. The first 10 minutes or so it looked like the mismatch it should have been, the following 84 odd minutes were rather a disappointment, to say the very least.
If you saw the game then there is no point me dissecting it, and if you missed it I will save you the pain.
The worst of it is that I wasn’t at all surprised. We have lost 7 of our last 14 games, and no one could say we have deserved better.
We might have beaten them 6-0 last season on the Emirates carpet? So we should see them off in the second leg. If we go through then I suppose that will be all that matters to many, but to me it does matter. There is something wrong. I will leave at that as this is not the platform for me to open up with a broadside.
Positively Arsenal 
Yes we did. You could say we played like wankers.
LikeLiked by 1 person
to answer the question in the title, no we did not master bate, we bent over and took it up the arse
yes george we spanked them 6-0 at the Emirates last season, so should be easily able to over turn this defeat, but then again that 6-0 came after beating them 4-2 at their place, and that has been put on its head tonight. But I do fully expect us to get through, i at this point in time would not put money on us doing them 6-0, as so little of our football this season suggests we are that sort of team, and we have only managed to score more than 3 goals in a game four times this season.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The above was a joke btw. I’m not angry at the players. I’m not angry at all. And I’m not sure that is a good thing.
LikeLiked by 3 people
emery’s after game comments – from football.london
On the result
It’s the first match. We are going to play another 90 minutes next week and I’m sure it’s going to be different.
Today the first half was a good performance for us, we had chances to score, sometimes last week we had chances and it’s goal and today is not.
We worked. I am happy with players’ effort, we tried. Defensively when they were 1-0 they were organised and competitive.
Our big opportunity is next week at home. Today is not the result we wanted. We deserved more but they worked for this. Next week is going to be different with our supporters.
Disappointed by Lacazette?
I didn’t see the action but we need to control the frustration. It’s bad news this red card. Next week we won’t play with him. But it gives chances for another player.
We are going to think about the players who are OK for the next week.
Does this result show Arsenal are weaker than last season, or that BATE are stronger?
It’s the first match. We are going to play the next match in London with our supporters and I think it can be different.
What makes you so confident you can turn the result around?
Because I trust in our players and in our stadium with our supporters. The result today is important.
We can win or lose but we play second match and I trust in our work and preparations to make a different result at Emirates Stadium.
On a lack of creativity – Do Arsenal need Ozil?
Every player is OK to play. Today those that were here, we can win with them and we deserved that.
Last week we won and we played with the same players. For me today there was no difference to the performance. We deserved to win but didn’t get the result.
They were very organised defensively and they found the moment in the game. It’s Not for one player or another. We can win with every player and lose with the same players.
Are you shocked by the result?
No. I knew before the match it would be two matches.
Here we wanted to get best result like we did before. I respect them and watched matches they played. Defensively they are well organised. We worked to stop them but they scored one goal.
In attacking moments we had more chances than them but the last action was not efficient. We did all to win and it’s the first 90mins.
I know it’s more difficult because we didn’t take a better result here, but the next game we will continue our work today.
I want to take better moments in attack with more efficiency and score goals to win the match.
LikeLiked by 1 person
To think……………….Spuds have a greater chance of winning the EPL than we have of getting 4th place and a greater chance of winning CL than we have winning EL !……………………how low have we fallen !……………………and we moan about our Transfer loan, but they haven`t bought a player since Ralph Coates Combeover !
They have a CEO/Joint Owner who buys a crane instead of hiring it and then sells it for a £3M profit and we have an owner who is only interested in performing cunnilingus on his Syrup !
LikeLike
Well said Emery. What a load of bollocks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I thought I was being funny but I’ve got nothing on Emery
LikeLiked by 3 people
It seems we had 3 shots on target and so did they.
I. What does that mean we deserved better than we got?
I suppose as I did not watch the game I cannot comment on the game itself. However the comments i have seen from people who did watch it are pretty damming.
I do not think that I will watch the highlights or look at the sports pages tomorrow.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’m losing interest. Where’s the beautiful football gone?
LikeLiked by 2 people
Painful painful watch. There’s a general belief that our two best creative players, Ramsey and Özil, are being sidelined on orders from corner offices, to sympathise with Emery. Pretty much speculation of course but what if it is… what does that say about Emery willingly ceding independence to select the best team from available players to achieve the expectations set out for him.
As a head coach to allow interference in how he does his job is not a good look as you open a door you won’t be able to close, and if there’s no interference and he genuinely believes Özil is not good enough then it certainly doesn’t look better either. Even without Özil or Ramsey or Papa we should’ve walked that game, BATE played 2 months last ffs.
Guendouzi has come a long way in the last few months but his development is coming at a cost as we’re playing with an attacking player light.
LikeLiked by 3 people
labogoon the ones saying that emery is leaving ozil and ramsey out on instruction from above are mainly people who were WOB, and so will make any and every sort of excuse to deflect any blame for what we are seeing from emery.
I really do not like the tone of his answers when asked about ozil not being in the team or squad, for me it really points to mesuts exclusion being totally emery’s decision.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Georgaki-pyrovolitis for the second time in recent weeks i actually fell asleep watching us play, the football we are playing is so fucking dull its unreal, we don’t have a game for a full week, normally i would be thinking ah shit no game this weekend, but at the moment I’m really not bothered, and i never thought I would say that. Our womens team have a big game v cfc, and I think its live on facebook, I look forward to that.
LikeLiked by 2 people
tomorrow our u23’s are away to spurs u23’s
LikeLiked by 1 person
the real frustrating thing is that our performances away to CFC(first half), spurs at home, liverpool at home, CFC at home, Fulham away(second half), shows that these players are capable of playing a high tempo, attacking game, with a solid defensive team display included, but that is 5 games, from 39 or 40 games
LikeLiked by 1 person
Labo, if Emery really is leaving them out on orders from above, he is very foolish, it would make him look weak with the other players, it will damage his reputation and future job prospects, and it will be Emery alone that faces the wrath of fans, the piss taking of the media and annoyed players, not those above him.
Whatever is going on, I hope emery has bloody good reason, if he persists with no creative players and doesn’t qualify for the CL, this could really blow up in his face, it could ultimately even make his job untenable.the media won’t let up now they have tasted blood with an Arsenal manager. Then there is the risk of a fans revolt, empty seats etc
I suspect he has his own reasons, or tactical reasons.but they are not clear, and that makes life difficult for him when they play badly.
The club need to get a grip, two execs have left, funding issues, and it looks like either a rogue stubborn off piste manager, or a money obsessed board controlling him and letting him take the rap. The truth might be neither, but they are not communicating things well.
But we will go through
LikeLiked by 1 person
I intended to cancel my Sky Sports and BT Sports subscription but was persuaded to continue for another year as a “loyal customer” with a substantial reduction in monthly premiums. Arsenal have another year to get back to the beautiful football I associate with them…..it’s about the beautiful game
LikeLiked by 1 person
mandy lets see how many starts Emery gives to Ramsey for rest of the season, as there is not one reason why anyone on the board would stop the head coach picking him, the lad is leaving, picking him is not going to change that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
this is some of what Emery said was his vision for our style of play, when he was appointed
“We want to do that with style, with a personality, with protagonists on the pitch. We want every player to create things and find things when they’re on the ball. When we are without the ball, we also want to show ambition to recover the ball quickly”
LikeLiked by 1 person
The media aren’t going to blame Emery, Mandy, as long as they have Mesut to blame. I just listened to 15 minutes of “punditry” about this result on our satellite radio soccer channel, and they spent the whole time bitching about Mesut and his “not wanting to play Emery’s style”. Remind me where he played today? Oh yeah, he didn’t.
LikeLiked by 3 people
alabama did any of them say what Emery’s style actually is
LikeLiked by 2 people
He’s still figuring it out ed. Needs more time, and new players, and more videos. Perfectly reasonable. Guardiola and Klopp took time too.
LikeLiked by 2 people
It’s strange that this site first puts my comments in the bin, and then takes them out. Isn’t it the opposite of how things normally work? Not that I’m complaining. At least it lets them out.
LikeLiked by 1 person
https://mobile.twitter.com/McCulloughSam/status/1096253894081081344
LikeLiked by 1 person
Eds,
According to the tweet I lined above Emery’s style at PSG was three DMs.
Which is why he is no longer the PSG manager.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lol fins, how do you keep finding these?
But I must say, Emery’s learned from his time at PSG. After being doubted because Ben Arfa showed good energy from the bench, he’s now started leaving Ozil out of the squad entirely.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Looks like John Cross is becoming a Tottenham fan, he must be after a pay rise
LikeLiked by 2 people
Shard, you remember how Pellegrini was undermined by his board in his final season, how that broke the spirit of the City squad and their form dropped etc. (Even then Young Pep still needs to work very hard to beat Manuel’s record over three years!)
Well: at least Unai has Raul’s full support (Suarez is reflecting well upon them both lol?), and a better squad then AW last season. Small mercies eh?
LikeLiked by 1 person
https://www.getfootballnewsfrance.com/2019/thomas-tuchel-the-anti-emery-antidote/
It is genuinely not hard to understand how and why so many players who produced the best football of their career at Arsenal over the last few decades.
Exhibit A: Alex Song outclassing Mikitariyan (& the rest of the opponents*) in Midfield during those encounters with Klopp’s Dortmund (earning Alex his pre early retirement move to Barca with those performances!).
LikeLiked by 1 person
“WE’RE VERY PROUD OF THE NEYMAR CONTRACT, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE WE’RE BEING ASKED TO APOLOGISE FOR IT.”
Raul Sanllehi, January 2014
That’s obviously from before the courts found the club guilty.
Using the evidence available I have a better idea of what & who Raul Sanllehi is.
Therefore I am not confused or surprised by the treatment of Ozil or Ramsey. Given how AW was treated last season. As logged in Shotta’s articles over the summer.
My concern is not the Head Coach.
It’s the “protagonists” who chose him.
LikeLiked by 1 person
And it’s a concern because I don’t like giving my money to criminal cartels.
I don’t play the blame game.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Though of course the choice of “tactics” given the squad both at AFC and PSG can be described as “criminal” too!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Possible explanations for yesterday’s team selection:
• Ramsey and Ozil both unfit
• Ramsey and Ozil not as good as the players who were selected
• The manager thinks Ramsey and Ozil are not as good as those who were selected
• The manager thinks Ramsey and Ozil not tactically suited to grinding out a 1-0 away win
• The manager protecting and resting those players in light of big games in the future
• The manager sending a message to the rest of the squad about attitude in training
• The manager under orders to destabilise those players in order to get them off the wage bill (but forgetting that one of them will already be off the wage bill, a detail possibly lost in translation)
• The manager seeking to establish his authority by only picking players less good at playing than he is at managing
• The club involved in match-fixing scam
• The manager under orders to sabotage results over the next three years so that fans do not mind the Emirates being converted into a permanent home for NFL
• Josh Kroenke taking an active interest in team-selection but basing all his ideas on advice from Piers Morgan, Talk Sport and the Daily Mail.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Tim,
In case you missed it:
https://mobile.twitter.com/McCulloughSam/status/1096253894081081344
Three months of giving the benefit of the doubt with the Ozil situation. Then we saw the manner in which the head coach put him on against Utd.
I was watching. And paying attention.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Got it covered there fh! Brilliant summary.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The only question worth asking is:
Why on Earth is AW not the DoF alongside say a Pellegrini and given the tactics we are witnessing even a Benitez (not a huge fan of his style but at least he treats his players with respect!!!)?
LikeLiked by 1 person
After I tiny bit of research i was able to answer my own question on Sanllehi:
“WE’RE VERY PROUD OF THE NEYMAR CONTRACT, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE WE’RE BEING ASKED TO APOLOGISE FOR IT.”
Raul Sanllehi, January 2014
(Obviously from before the courts found the club guilty. Sounds like a stand up fellow, I wouldn’t recommend standing up for him. Lol?
“WE’RE VERY PROUD OF THE SUAREZ CONTRACT, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE WE’RE BEING ASKED TO APOLOGISE FOR IT.”
Raul Sanllehi, January 2019
LikeLiked by 1 person
fins
hate to disagree with you, but Arsene Wenger was never going to be our DoF. For one, he doesn’t necessarily believe in that model. But more specifically, quite a few years ago he spoke about it being important to not stay around the club so as to let the new manager find his own voice.
I hope he can come back soon as our version of Cruyff. But we’re a less political club (or were!!!!) so not as interfering/dominant.
Btw, Cruyff supported Pep over the more experienced Mourinho for the Barca job. I wonder who Wenger would have picked if he were asked, which he wasn’t.
LikeLiked by 3 people
I think we played ok ok first half and had we come off 5-2 up at half time no neutral could of complained. In European football you have to take chances even against the weeker sides.
After taking your chances the second.most important thing is obviously protecting your goal and with half time approaching giving away that free kick was criminal.
My biggest disappointment was after creating chances in the first half how could we of played so stale the second. With Bate retreating we didn’t look wide and when we did the ball arrived far to late. There was no overlapping or the overlapper was ignored and when we did finally get free our crossing was woeful.
The short corner routine did not work but we tried it over and over again and when we did try and get it in the box it hit the first man.
I don’t think all is list this season or for Unai over the next couple but I can honestly say I’ve never been so pleased to have a free weekend that is something I never said under Arsene.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Shard. I once disagreed with Paul N before this blog was even started.
I learnt my lesson! Paul is a wiser soul then me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Must’ve been hard to make chances in that second half when you sub off the two players that made all or most of the chances during that “good performance” against Huddersfield last week.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Safe to say we won’t see six goals next week, hopefully three at least as that looks like it will be the requirement.
Will be intriguing to see a stronger opponent in the next round compared to a team that were beaten 10-2 on aggregate last season by second string elevens.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Seriously though.
If The PSG squad were ripping it out of UE long before the end then what do you all think the reaction to Ramsey’s goal celebration at Fulham, the shrug, was and has been in the squad? It really is not rocket science.
I am grateful to Rambo for that gesture. Which sums up our season.
People with class and dignity have simple dignified and classy ways of getting their messages across. There really is no need to debate what happened with Rambo. Unless you think that he is a liar.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Haha. Yikes. I’m sure Paul N is all that, but I’m certainly not.
Personally I no longer pick over the nitty gritties of the games. What’s the point? The overall picture is not of a team which is comfortable or creative in attack, and isn’t much better on defense. Whether we happen to score 5 in an odd game, or we just miss out on a goal in another, is sort of besides the point when talking about our performance. It affects results, but I’m finding it hard to care about that right now.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Reflecting on performances became a waste of time for me after the Liverpool Home when it was palpably obvious that the football was strangely better when, and this bit might seem crazy to some but here goes nothing, when the better players were on the football pitch.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Shard
I meant to say one of the reasons I understood why George set up this blog was so that people with different opinions could share their love of AFC.
Which is why many of are thinking similar thoughts to Pat Rice and Bob Wilson at this time, I can write that as in-speculation as they themselves spoke with purpose when facing the North Bank back in May regarding the olde: “Values”.
They knew.
LikeLiked by 1 person
< as non-speculation
LikeLiked by 1 person
I will never slag off the coaching staff or players because that is presumptuous and classless. I will say only that my patience is not infinite, and I have other interests. Whether anyone at Arsenal cares about this point of view, I have my doubts.
LikeLiked by 4 people
Weird things is we have a good chance of going 4th this weekend.
Some bloke called Mesut might not be playing though, hes being kept back for the big games v Stanley, Fleetwood, Scunthorpe and the pre season tour. Shame Ive hear hes not bad?
LikeLiked by 2 people
Dave we have no chance of going 4th this weekend Mezut will be with everyone else, not playing this weekend. It’s the Micky mouse F.A.cup weekend.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Looks like Im the one whose out, didnt see the dates, in truth it was even mentioned. But we do have a just of going fourth next time out in the PL, he said trying but failing to save face.
Back to the napalm and knives sick bed of shingles for me.
LikeLiked by 3 people