The natives were loathsome at the Emirates last Sunday, with Granit Xhaka bearing the brunt of their rancor as they made their discontent very clear to Unai Emery as we let slip of a two-goal lead.
Good day one and all…
Arsenal return to the Emirates Stadium this afternoon for a Premier League clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers; both sides looking to put midweek Carabao Cup defeats behind them.
The Gunners come into this game not in the best form, that’s being polite considering we’ve only won two of our last eight league outings.
Following the draw at Man United we sat third on the table, looking at a good run toward the xmas crunch with nine fixtures against sides outside the ‘traditional’ top-six; three games later it already feels more like a limp. Xhaka’s outburst at a section of fans that jeered him only seem to distract from the lack of clarity and purpose that has been the story of Arsenal under Emery.
Some may see sitting 5th on the log, just four points off top-four, isn’t that bad. Looking at it in isolation probably doesn’t appear too worrying, however, if you zoom a bit outer you’ll see that there’s also four points between us and 14th-placed Brighton, and that is what gives many pause for concern when it comes to the Spaniard. Can anybody honestly say our current approach to games are any better compared to that of mid table teams despite the obvious gulf in talent?
For a while Arsenal got away with their shortcomings due to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s individual brilliance. With him having now gone three league games without a goal, we registered just one win. We did score three goals in those matches, but from set-pieces as scoring chances created from open play were just scant.
If Emery want to overcome these skirmishes, he has to find a better linkage between the midfield and attack.
Wolves’ midweek defeat at Aston Villa put an end to a handy eight-match unbeaten run in all competitions. It’s unlikely to have bothered Nuno Espirito Santo too much as he gave most of his first teamers the night off, who have been playing in both their league and Europa matches. They had a slow start to their league campaign, ensuing a run of Europa qualifiers, having registered only two wins from 10 league fixtures (D6, L2), to find themselves just four points off the bottom three. However, with their players rested Nuno will be thinking he got a shot here to take advantage of our current funk; looking at a win to move them to within a single point off the Gunners.
They do have a habit of tuning it up against the ‘big teams’ eh, just before the last international break they stunned Man City 2-0 at the Etihad. So it goes without saying that Emery will be aware of their threat and may well be reluctant to throw caution to the wind even when under pressure to produce something special for the Emirates faithful.
Team News
Being confirmed that Xhaka will not make the matchday squad it gives Lucas Torreira a chance for a rare league start. Hector Bellerín could also return, having proven his fitness.
Mesut Özil had quite the night at Anfield and it’s going to be very difficult to leave him out, specially with us not exactly having found the desired consistency in his absence. Dani Ceballos has been preferred ahead of him, but since matchday 2 against Burnley he has been mostly anonymous – ironically something that Mesut often gets accused of. Will Emery end his exile? This afternoon will be telling.
This is a big match for both sides eager to get back to winning ways. We know Wolves took fives points off of us last season and if we don’t want a repeat of that, we have to show a bit more desire than recently to see off their challenge.
Sticking my neck out: the Gunners to keep all the points at the Emirates, but perhaps too close for comfort. CÖYG!
Before that there’s the small matter of South Africa vs England in the 2019 Rugby World Cup finals in Japan. Good luck to both sides and may the best team win… en mag dit julle wees Bokke… #BokBefok
@LaboGoon
Positively Arsenal 
Without Xhaka on the pitch there’s no way Emery will be able to outfox Nuno on the midfield. Should be an instructive afternoon for Nasty souls cheerleading the Xhaka hate.
In the corresponding fixture last season where Nuno’s team were the better football team, and that was without any of the self inflicted problems this Clown and his puppeteer have hoisted around the ankles of this team club.
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Fingers crossed the Gunners sneak the points
At Home.
Against Wolves.
COYG.
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Congrats Labo
Your team showed more pashun and desire in this contest of Rugby Football.
Are we allowed to mention technique and skill…? heh
Yes! We are allowed to discuss such esoteric aspects on sport here. Which is why this was like the only blog alongside Shotta’s highlighting the poor quality and technical level of Emery’s degenerate concept of Football, (and his inability to manage anything off the pitch).
I thought people were being harsh when first comparing Emery to Rioch.
Now I consider such a comparison to be an insult against Rioch.
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Rugby dissapointment – Tick
Football dissapointment – Watch this space
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Let us see a performance worth watching, with the inclusion from the start with Ozil.
Please, please ……………….DO NOT play the kids.
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England didn’t turn up today, bizarre. An early injury , a couple decisions against them, didn’t catch up with the way the ref was interpreting things, they pretty much caved in. Complacency, bad day, wrong selection? but congratulations to SA, stuck to what they were good at , streetwise, and some of the more beautiful aspects of the game as the end approached.
As for football, think we will win today. Anything less and I suspect the forces against Emery will dwarf anything against Xhaka, especially if he makes strange selections.
Read an article yesterday that the powers that be are well aware of Emerys limitations, the fact they are in the know that he is confusing players, especially young players who take the piss out of him, and significantly, are relieved they didn’t extend his contract in the summer, but feel there are no obvious replacements at the moment, IF true, worrying, but also reassuring they seem to be ruling out Jose
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Should’ve been Pellegrini back in 2018 Mandy – hands down the easy obvious choice to be the immediate successor to AW as a great proven manager like MP had nothing to prove and some of his favourite players already in the squad.
That he wasn’t even on the supposed shortlist is the scary thing.
Benitez not my favourite style but also undeniably a great football coach. At the least he, famously, knows what this strange thing called a Midfield is…
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I guess that ultimately will be up to Edu, at least I can’t see the point of the appointment otherwise. At least he was around back in the day.
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Thanks Labo: top work as ever, and congratulations on your big win. Groping around in the before dawn dark prior to taking the dog for a walk I grabbed the first top I could find so am having to hide the fact I’m wearing an old WP top, purchased many moons ago at Newlands. Incidentally, I think an old friend of mine, Matthew Pearce, does a bit of punditry in your neck of the woods – do you ever hear him?
Hoping for an Ozil shaped smile later on today.
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Pellegrini may well have been the best and most logical choice but a pound to a penny the powers that be (JK?) perceived him to be too old and too Arsene like. Emery may well have looked shiny new but as some brummie kid once noted
So may the outward shows be least themselves:
The world is still deceived with ornament.
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Heady… Matt Pearce does the rugby commentary for SuperSport – our equalivelant to Sky Sports. The voice of rugby here in SA and a true legend. He was at his best yet again today and never missed a beat.
Big game for Emery later. One can almost guaranteed if Arsenal lose today and then next against Leicester at the KP Stadium… he will lose his job because Arsenal will find themselves below at last 15th on the log and Raul can’t have that.
So in a twist of fate one Unai Emery is relying on Özil to save his job.
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Matt Pearce was doing the commentary with some of your BBC guys so you should’ve heard him today.
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not sure if I missed it, but from what I seen Emery did not confirm Xhaka was certainly out of today’s game, he said something along the lines that he was not thinking of playing him but that he’d see after yesterday’s training.
But if Xhaka don’t play and we lose I’d expect the same idiots who booed him last week and those that have been on his case for years, to still blame him, you know the thing, bloody xhaka being too weak minded to be able to play etc etc.
Many seem to think Mesut will start today, I’m not even sure he will be in the 18
A couple of gobshite Arsenal fans on football focus just now, re xhaka, they’ve learned nothing with this whole Xhaka thing. And that is the problem, there is no desire in the fan base to admit they are wrong and have much of the blame to take for all of this.
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The recall of Ozil and Rambo in back in March was made to save his job.
As with the passing out from the back horror show it was easy money to predict that this season that Emery would drop and then have no choice but to recall Ozil again. Groundhog Day but alas not the non-repetive Groundhog Day as envisioned by the puny minds of the ****s hating on Arsene, but actual constant repetition from an equally puny and unimaginative mind.
Which is why Ozil’s agent could pre-empt the attempts to drive him out the club in the early summer, just as he has seen out the latest attempts by the twin clowns Laural & Hardy/Raul & Unai (Raul is the fat one) in recent weeks too. That Ornstein interview was as classy as the tea gif and the Bergkamp quote.
I greatly appreciate the manner and the method that this dressing room have stood up for the Arsenal in recent weeks,
The latest leaks from the dressing room are not surprising but they do show up the incompetency of Raul at the old Football Relations. Yet again. Clown that he is.
The recent quotes from Bellerin in particular will have made Pat Rice and Bob Wilson proud. No need to call out Raul/Emery directly with a lack of class…
Tim you spoke about civil war off the pitch.
better then most you will have seen the signs and indications of the civil war going on between the players and those above them since last season.
Today with Xhaka dropped after he received full backing from his teammates…you couldn’t make this up!
we await to see what comedy the clowns will serve up today.
Fingers crossed the Gunners sneak the three points.
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on Emery, it is now being reported that he only got the job ahead of Arteta cos he had a ready made backroom team, something Arteta could not confirm.
Also would say that the idea that Jose could replace him shortly is not far fetched at all, it is something that many of the WOB would cream themselves over. They still hate Wenger that much that they crave Jose as our boss, regardless of what damage it might do us, they don’t care. And the fact that Jose and his agent have been at 3 of our recent games and had meetings with Raul, would suggest that its in the pipeline. God forbid.
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if Xhaka is dropped today and ends up losing the armband, then the club will have made a rod for their own back, they will have empowered the boo boys, we will see more and more of our players targeted, any run of poor form of a player, or any run of bad results from the team will see the boo boys go to town on which ever scapegoat or scapegoats they dislike at that time. For me Emery is willing to allow this as the longer the boo boys are targeting a player they are ignoring his part in all of this.
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At three recent matches?
****!
Well. We can all see how predictable Daddy Raul is, that’s why the players’ agents have been running circles around him.
Jose was always the plan then.
**** me. We knew it, but to be on the verge of it happening.
****.
I hope the rumours of the players’ agents contacting Josh are true. If so then Jose should only hopefully last a few seasons. Hopefully less then this one. comes in December, gone by April? Raul’s track record at the club so far at the old Football Relations would point towards such “success”.
We might be able to tune back in to watch some Football in a few years! Fingers crossed.
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Pellegríni is an excellent manager, with more than a pedigree, suspect good old fashioned ageism would have stopped any interest in him, and as pointed out, any similarities, real or perceived to Wenger, in some eyes at least. They could have done worse than Brenton Rogers, despite some unfortunate aspects of his character, a lot worse, and it seems they did.
Jose, please no. When Emery goes, My money is on Freddie, perhaps not wanting to repeat the possible mistake they made over Arteta, or possibly Rauls mate, Luis Enrique, if he is ready to return to the game that is.
Interesting story about Artetas lack of back room staff, seem to remember the likes of Xabi Alonso, and ex Arsenal players being mentioned. Also remember that leak about him collecting players fines to buy Gazidis a gold watch, unfortunate, apart from the fact all of us would think of better uses for that money, the excellent Arsenal Foundation for starters, that implied to me at least someone in the know really didn’t want Arteta getting that job.
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Mandy
Josh has done a lot in his short time at the club. Including these briefings from within the club attacking AW or players that started around about February 2018 (When the Master of Football Relations arrived to show us his expertise).
So he’s done a lot. No one will argue with that.
But none of it has been for the good of the club.
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Mandy the players fines money going on a watch for ivan was pure bullshit, all our players fines go to Charity, I think its the Arsenal Foundation, if not then its a chosen charity.
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Leno
Chambers, Sokratis, David Luiz, Tierney
Guendouzi, Torreira,Ceballos
Ozil, Lacazette, Aubameyang
subs: Martinez, Bellerin, Kolasinac, Willock, Martinelli, Saka, Pepe
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Really not sure how that selection will line up formation wise. Off that Pepe is out of the team.
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Seeing both Özil and Ceballos in the starting lineup gave me a cheeky smile. It reminds when he chuck his three DM’s to bring in Özil and Ramsey last season. Fins should enjoy the almost desperation in this selection.
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A misunderstanding caused no match preview at UnCensored today. I miss Shard’s equally as I look forward to Labo’s; two complementary perspectives.
But I must share with you my concern about today’s game. Our midfield under Emery has been a mess and even with Ozil’s expected return it may be marginally better but not by much.
The main issue, as we at UA keep repeating, is Emery has abandoned the center of the park which is emblematic of his cowardly, cautious approach. Going up the center of the field not only requires high technical ability but also a manager with a rock hard belief in his players. The latter is plainly lacking in Emery. It is obvious our midfielders are instructed to attack down the sides and it is the main reason for the chronic disconnect between midfield and our attackers. Gone from Arsenal is that interplay in an around the box that creates chances for our forwards or late arriving midfielders.
That is why I doubt there will be any great improvement in the way we play. Hoping for a good result but not optimistic.
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Eds after spinning the roulette wheel I came up with the “Diamond” again.
Just kidding it was predictable as the diamond was the formation that worked for Emery last season. Because he had Ramsey…
…because he had Ramsey last season is the reason why he was asking Xhaka to play that pseudo sweeper role that doesn’t suit him this season.
Lord help us.
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I like this line up, especially that Özil is finally playing. Hopefully Torreira has orders to do the DM duties! We’ll likely need 3 to win once again but this lineup surely has goals in it! COYG!!
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It’s a good eleven I agree, exciting.
but if they’re set up to play as a diamond I’ll be headbtting something (not a football)
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Hopefully I’m wrong and if they’re set up as a diamond this’ll be the first time since Rambo was in the eleven that this formation produces some decent football
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Man Utd have lost 1-0 away to Bournemouth
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ah the pgmol have rolled out Michael Oliver for us today
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we have Ozil in the line up today, and but for the inclusion of Ceballos who might form a good partnership with him, as in getting the ball to him, we really haven’t selected the prime team to get the best out of Mesut, there is no speed in the team, PEA the only one with a bit of dash, Ozil really would better suit having Pepe and Saka or even Martinelli in the team, but I expect that we are likely to see Ozil taken off for one of them to come on today.
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OptaJoe
@OptaJoe
·
29m
13 – Manchester United’s haul of 13 points from 11 Premier League games this season is their lowest at this stage of a top-flight campaign since 1986-87 (11). Crestfallen
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“This is truly inexplicable. Ozil needs width and pace, and he drops our winger and plays a narrow, slow midfield.”
Not that inexplicable simply because Wallahi Emery is not a football coach.
Again: o hope i am wrong and it’s not a slow diamond. Even if it is I still hope the Gunners somehow sneak the win. And ignore their coach…
COYG.
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Sir Ed Woodward has set the levels that Raul aspires towards
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Many thanks Labö.
CÖYG!
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Now the wolves look like Barcelona, f@ck me!
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1-0 to the Arsenal, Aubameyang with his 50th goal for us
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Thanks be to Sven and Arsene for Aubamayang
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Oliver doing well with giving phantom fouls to Wolves
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HT: Arsenal 1-0 Wolves
Aubameyang captain for the day with our goal, Lacazette set him up for a simple finish.
Its a bit of a topsy turvey game, lots of effort, lacking in quality. Wolves with several chances, and Leno made a fine save late on that really he would not have had a chance with if the wolves player had got it either side of him instead of straight at him.
We need to improve somewhat in the second half if we are to win this
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city losing 1-0 at home to southampton, city with loads of shots but none on target.
aston villa lead liverpool too, 1-0. Mane booked for diving, wonders will never cease
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If Wolves can find the quality from the centre circle this game is theirs for the taking.
The Gunners’ Midfield is wide open.
Auba’s goal came against the run of play.
But I’ve been praising this player to heights and I will again as he’s the only good story at the club at the moment and I for one appreciate him.
Imagine how good the most prolific scorer in th history of the football club could be if he had a proper football coach
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Looks like a great result for Bruce’s Newcastle at Pellegrini’s Hammers today.
As written earlier on this season I rate Bruce too. Over some others…
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1-1 poor defending
wolves have had twice as many shots as we have had, and more on target too,
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Every time I looked up today I saw Guendouzi losing the ball in midfield, nearly playing Leno into trouble, missing tackles etc. Must’ve be n bad luck but: in what universe do you leave him on ahead of Torreira when holding onto a single goal lead. To be clear: one of them can tackle, the other cannot!
Wow.
What.
A.
Call.
Amazing when you think about it.
Amazingly bad.
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Full Time Arsenal 1-1 Wolves
Aubameyang with our goal, wolves with less possession but twice as many shots as us and more on target too.
There was little fluid football from us, and once again an Emery team fails to beat wolves
boos rang round at the final whistle
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“I blame Xhaka” said Raul’s “I really like Raul” PR consultant last week
This week? Back onto Ozil?
Mustafi!!!?????
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shots
Arsenal 10 — Wolves 21
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JB
™️
@gunnerpunner
·
26m
Didn’t use Pepe against Liverpool when he could’ve done something. Assumed it was for today. But no. £72m forward just sitting there watching Unai’s dysfunctional side create sweet fuck all.
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Was appointing Emery Raul’s idea of a sick joke?
Did he do it because he felt it was the only way some Arsenal fans would accept Jose?
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