Well that was quite fun.
A nice two goal lead to take to italy and no away goal. By no means game over but we should be favourites.
Ramsey was magnificent, Ozil was glorious, Torreira tenacious and young AMN played a blinder.
We played really well in the first half and adequately well in the second half. Many people were questioning why Ozil and Lacazette were substituted when playing so well, but I thought it was just Emery wanting fresh legs for the last 20 minutes. To be fair Iwobi and Mkhitaryan were not as effective as Ozil and Lacazette had been, but they might have been more effective that they would have been running on empty for the last 20.
No point me rambling on about a game you will all have seen and judged for yourself. Suffice it to say we play better with Ozil and Ramsey and that was what Emery served up to us. So well done to the head coach. Credit where it’s due.
Positively Arsenal 
Thanks George,
I think there was a subtle change of shape from Napoli/Ancelotti at HT, I think with from a 433 to a 442/424 with the wingers stretching the play and the strikers running into space in behind the FBs gave the visitors the ascendancy after HT but the Gunners fought their way back into some rhythm before th. he subs. Miki looked ia little dopey, like he needs 90 mins Iwobi was ok and with Lacazete pencilled in to start at Watford I guess the the same as you that UE had to try and rotate a little. Papa also impressive again, he’s going to be missed against Watford.
Two goals, clean sheet, this is a stronger squad then last season, in this competition that’s not even up for debate, and tonight’s opponents didn’t have a striker or forward of Griezman’s
quality. There’ll be tougher tests to come in the Europa if the Gunners get through but I’m looking forward to the return leg.
–
Best footballer on the football pitch (playing in their best position)?
You all saw the Football match!
Didn’t think I’d get the pleasure of seeing the variation of the Rambo Torreira combo to Rambo with Xhaka. The two started off the match passing and moving their way through midfield and I was having a great time after a few minutes watching that! Not going to indulge the grief at the dismemberment of a midfield that can be cuomposed (rotated) from three complementary yet different top top quality midfielders, I’m just appreciating it when its on the pitch! I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive me. I do worry though: do y’all think that Rambo and Ozil can start in the same team? Th mind boggles. Think I might go and watch that first goal again…
COYG
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but ozil is lazy and ramsey is easily replaceable, no?
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What a difference 4 days make? 2 strikers with Ozil playing as a #10 behind them. Thought he was supposed to be playing the Emery-way, helping out on defense and less focused on his usual attacking role.
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Watching Aaron play like that…well, I’ve shed enough tears. At this point I’ll just be happy that he’s going out with a bang. That’s all he would have wanted once it became clear that it was happening, whether he really wanted it to or not. So I’m happy for him. He loves Arsenal, and it shows. No bridges being burned here. I fully expect to see him at the Emirates regularly once he retires. Looking forward to pictures of 35 year old Aaron with 26 year old MOTM Guendouzi after an Arsenal Champions League win in 7 years.
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Could have and perhaps should have scored a goal or tow more, but Napoli had their fair amount of chances from point blank too. So no use crying over spilled milk.
Like Fins I do share a quiet laugh at all those who say Ramsey and Özil are Wenger’s boys and doesn’t fit Emery’s style – and we didn’t even saw all that monkey about at the back. At most it was simple one-two passes to get the ball to our frontfoot players Auba, Laca, Özil and Ramsey. Young Lucas ran himself into the ground being the link-up between defense and attack and got a goal for his efforts (I give him that one as he forced Koulibaly into that error).
Early goal in Naples for the return leg and its game over with that headstart.
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Interesting the idea of Aaron coming back to the Ems regularly when he retires.
Won’t be as a pundit though, that would mean constantly putting the boot into the club, like Wright, Merson, Robson, Smith and others.
Suspect Ramsey is one who thinks independently of the herd and those with an agenda and always will..
Excellent performance by him and others last night
Aaron will leave a much loved and genuine club legend
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love his disposition; glad he Is doing well.. Ramsey was always a pro…. Truly leaving as a legend… Still do not understand the decision to let him go! was his demand so high? cos I hear Arsenal withdrew our offer rather than him rejecting the offer?
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Adrian Clarke
@adrianjclarke
Wish we’d seen more of Torreira & Ramsey together this season. Quality, legs & bite.
Great minds and all that hehe. As above I didn’t think we’d get to see it at all during the mid-season*.
I’m just appreciating Rambo quantifying and proving beyond any doubt what we’ve been saying and appreciating upon George’s blog for years. He’s best the best player on the football pitch against any football team most games he’s played this season. Specifically from CM. which when you consider that he was voted the fans player of the season last year, it can’t be that big a surprise. Unless you are a Billy Big Blagger looooool! The lack of class on display from these cretins has been funny and I can appreciate the humour if nothing else.
(*Nevermind the lost prospect of a midfield three of Xhaka Rambo and Torreira with Ozil starting from the left, lining up like some kind of German 2014 WC winning team…)
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Taylor-Hart amongst five schoolboys in Arsenal’s Dallas Cup squad
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Arsenal have named their squad for the Dallas Cup, with schoolboys Kido Taylor-Hart and Nathan Butler-Oyedeji amongst those included.
The Gunners will field an U19 squad at the prestigious tournament and further schoolboys have been included in Yunus Musah, Miguel Azeez and Mazeed Ogungbo.
Other notable inclusions are Bayli Spencer-Adams and Jordan McEneff, who have both been out injured, and goalkeeper James Hillson, who is on loan from Reading.
Goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo has remained in England so that he can feature for the U23s against Chelsea next week, with Tyreece John-Jules, Bukayo Saka and Xavier Amaechi also falling into that category.
Karl Hein, Joel Lopez and James Olayinka miss out due to injury.
This tournament could be especially useful for the likes of Alfie Matthews, Matthew Dennis and Ryan Alebiosu, who haven’t yet established themselves as regulars in the starting lineup for the U18s.
Arsenal’s Dallas Cup squad: Balogun, Clarke, Coyle, McEneff, McGuinness, M. Smith, Swanson, Hillson, Daley-Campbell, Spencer-Adams, Cottrell, Alebiosu, Dennis, Flaherty, Matthews, T. Smith, Greenwood, Azeez, Ogungbo, Musah, Taylor-Hart, Butler-Oyedeji.
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Had another look at Ramsey’s goal. Check out the footwork. He hops on his left foot so his right is ready to strike when the ball arrives. So graceful.
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The game at OT providing more evidence how refs tilt games. But then again, we know Chelsea and Utd will get all the help going in their quest for the top four
Utd now on 11 penalties, joined by perennial pen table toppers Palace on 11 this season, Bournemouth regularly do suspiciously well also.
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arsenal now down to 6th place
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Right where some want us
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Just looking at a player we have been linked with- striker Wesley from Brugges- got me wondering about a few things:
(a) supposing Danny doesn’t sign on again, is it likely we will bring in another striker, and if so what type/profile would it likely be?
(b) Thinking particularly of this home/away issue we have, is there any type/types of player/s likely to help in those- v physical, lot let go by ref; teams often sitting for much of game and hitting on break (or long balls to big striker like Everton played)- games?
My guess for (a) is that if we were to go after anyone, Wesley would be the most likely type : young (22), tall and very powerful.
For (b) I haven’t a clue, but feel majority of managers who are watching their team suffer (away) to often simplistic, highly aggressive football would probably be thinking of fighting fire with fire, and so on lookout for aggressive or powerful players, or both. *
* I’m doubtful how useful it would be, because of my opinion of pgmol, but intrigued to see if that’s what we attempt to do.
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We have Craig pawson as ref on Monday
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Pretty sure Craig Pawson will follow Mike Riley’s instructions, direct or implied, ie allow the likes of Deeney to play on the edge of the games laws, then give him a pen for Kos breathing on him
That’s another fear I have emery , Raul or whoever is wanting to make all these changes, allegedly, new Players not from this league don’t yet understand the ways of the PGMOL , that takes time, as so many of ours have found out.
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Emile Smith-Rowe made his RasenBallsport Leipzig debut as a very late sub in their 2 – 0 home win over Wolfsburg
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so Guendouzi is no longer great cos “he is only 19”, he is now great “cos he is only 20”
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Fellow Positives: In my latest blog I ask the question: Are You a Football Virgin? “Something about the silence of football fans as Mike Riley, the PGMOL and the Premier League currently screw-up the implementation of VAR has convinced me most fans are naive or inexperienced in how these powerful organizations go about their business. Through the media they tell us we will have VAR next year but in their current trials the PGMOL and Premier League are doing everything to not follow IFAB’s 12 principles of VAR. At this rate it is my prediction the VAR we get in the PL next year will be worse than the status quo.”
For more click the following link: https://uniteforvar.com/?p=1927
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Dallas Cup starts today, folks. Our game is at three their time so think that’s 9 our time.
Managed to find streams of a couple of the games last year and got my first proper look at Saka and Ballard.
Imagine you might have a look for it Ed, so if you can find any link would appreciate putting it on here.
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Chelsea sold Salah heh.
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isn’t is amazing how Hazard can put in as poor a performance as he did today without a single pundit or journo having a go at him like they are so found of when it comes to Ozil
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Next Generation Arsenal🔴⚪️@scoutingindoors
2h2 hours ago
For anyone interested, Arsenal’s game with Monterrey in the Dallas Cup will be streamed live tonight on the Dallas Cup website about 9pm I believe
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Next Generation Arsenal🔴⚪️@scoutingindoors
2h2 hours ago
https://www.flofc.com is where to find it
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reiss nelson came on for Hoffenheim today, with about 20 minutes to go, he had a goal disallowed for offside a few minutes in, but did get one anyway later on
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You watching the game, Ed?
Got it on- commentary is normal speed, images off; looks like ball and players moving through liquid.
Just gone 1 down. Mexicans looking feisty as always. Slowing down free kicks and throws etc. Argue every decision.Take their football very seriously.
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Commentators seem to know their onions. Reckon we were caught out last year with speed of transition common in mexican football. Think that’s where goal came tonight as well.
Pen. Flo down looking hurt
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2-1 down at h-t. Flo was ok after taking knock.
All us in terms of building play but very vulnerable to counter. Play almost 4-2-4 so when lose possession in mid or above they have huge space to attack. Not an unfamiliar pattern over years
No standouts for us but Balogun looking fast and dangerous, Matt Smith quite prominent. Takes some very nice touches and enjoyable to watch on ball.
Coyle a disappointment for me so far. Was hoping recent run of goals meant he was really back on track, but still getting impression I have previous times watching him : looks like a once dominant player who hasn’t fully adapted to players catching up or surpassing him physically
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3-1 loss. Sheesh. Frustrating game. Mexicans played it like a South American team with a lead late in Copa America final or something.
We deserved nowt and really went to pot when 3-1 down. Had player, Clarke, sent off after what looked a stinker of a foul.
Only plus is that there should be a hell of a lot of lessons to learn from it.
Really do hate losing to teams who show terrible sportsmanship even at this level, and it seemed to have big impact on our players. Had no experience of anything like that playing amateur football but if it’s as frustrating as it looks- jeez.
Apart from hoping for officials who find a way to discourage players from all the shit on display today- surrounding them on calls, copious time-wasting, standing in front of free kicks every time, etc- main lesson might be in how important it is not conceding against well drilled, feisty, dirty bastards who defend well and have talent on counters to go with it
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Rich I do wonder was the opponents in general older than our lads, as all ours are u18, and its an u19 competition, add in that our very best u18’s/U19’s not even brought out to the tournament, as we seen in the u18 game v spurs, the difference John-Jules, Saka and Amaechi make to the team level is massive.
I have been disappointed by Coyle over the last 18 months, he had really made a big name for himself when playing for the u18 when he was U16, but he really has struggled to reproduce those performances. As you say, maybe he is one of those guys who finds it hard to adjust when size and strength come to bear.
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Daley-Campbell did not feature today either, lots of rumors that he will leave Arsenal this summer, several German and some English clubs are said to be very keen on him. A year ago he seemed set to push on and maybe even make the first team this year, but some reports suggest that he is not being picked for the U23’s as he refused to even enter contract talks, so its becoming a self fulfilling prophecy, – he is refusing to sign a new contract cos he is not progressing through the ranks as he thinks he should, and he is not progressing through the ranks cos he won’t sign a new contract
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Arsenal have played 15 away BPL games so far this season and have yet to keep a clean sheet, four away games left in the league starting with Watford tomorrow
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Ed
Team sheet Dallas cup posted had ages on it and we were the younger side for sure. Quite a number of them qualified for year up I think, while ours was an u18 side with quite a few 17 year olds and one a year younger again.
Oh well, u23’s were a really enjoyable watch last week, this was the opposite; can’t win em all, but with youth you can hope they take a lot from toughest games.
Very doubtful Daley-Campbell is with them, although I thought he was meant to be, as the team sheet showed full squad including those not on bench and his name wasn’t on it. He would have been handy today.
Probably only a very slim chance he’ll stay on now. Damn shame, as for all the talent we have it’s not often we bring through someone with his profile- very strong, uncompromising, can play.
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New post is up
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