Good morning any positive gooners left.
It’s the worst of times, at least the worst of time following 20 odd years of the best of times. I feel like not only is hope lost, but we are struggling to find the hope that there could be hope. It’s grim folks, grim I tell ye.
At 6 P.M. we take on Southampton, a team at the opposite end of the hopeful spectrum. They are a good team playing well. Sometimes teams go on a good run that is a surprise, getting results which are as much a result of the rub of the green as they are to good play, but Southampton are not such a team. They are good players playing well. They are a team preforming in the way that I think Arteta is striving to get us playing like. Every player has a specific role and they action it well. They are hard working, solid and inventive. Just a good team, I won’t be at all surprised to see them in the top 6 come the end of the season.
As for us? Oh my word, it’s hard to think it could get worse, but it likely will. Two of the current whipping boys, Xhaka and Bellerin, are out. Whatever people think of these two (personally I think they are two of our very best) they have both been mainstays for Mikel. Options to replace Xhaka are very limited, what with Partey also being out, so it looks likely to be Elneny and Ceballos in the middle. Cedric will probably come in for Hector, as AMN seems to somehow have become another persona non grata since he said the whole squad was behind Ozil.
I suspect we might even see a return to 3 at the back tonight, we have lost every game with 4, (as far as I can remember) and as Aubameyang can’t scrore right, left or centre, he may as well go back on the left, allowing our new creative hub, Lacazette, to be this No.9/false9/10 hybrid thingamabob. Pepe should come in on the right, but who knows?
All that said, I think we could win tonight, I feel strangely optimistic, 5 home losses on the spin is unacceptable, well when I say “unacceptable” I actually mean unthinkable. So, if I can’t think it, I must think we will not lose. Brilliant logic, don’t you agree?
I think that’s enough nonsense form me, but if nonsense is your thing, here is another chance to listen to yesterdays podcast.
Pedantic George.
Positively Arsenal 
Our under 18’s drawn away at Blackburn in FAyouth cup for what I think is 3rd time in 5 seasons. Thrashed by them last year when were way too physical for us and had some quality with it, and I think it was them that Nelson was harshly sent off 10 minutes in after being two-footed and squaring up to someone (both pushed each other in same way, but hey)
We’ve a talented but young team and if ref lets them boot us about and they have a lot of 2nd years expect it will only go one way.
Long odds 3 in 5, all away. Feels like we’ve been drawn away virtually every game in recent years, normally oop north.
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17 centre backs? Ha! so how many are no loan? Cos that sounds many…
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I know it’s trade mark comment to say we battled hard after the sending off but actually in comparison to Arsene’s record when down to ten men you have to think these two games were still poor.
Once we sat 10 men behind the ball Southampton didn’t have a clue so the sending off in conjunction with Theo going off, who was causing all sorts of trouble, probably helped us.
I think the people who are saying we done well must be comparing it to just the last few losses and not the sort of performances we should have at home. It is worrying that this performance seems acceptable.
Pepe and Auba anonymous again (apart from his goal) and apart from the academy lads only Elneny had a good game, he is probably player of the season so far to be honest. When Auba wanted Kierens long throw to go in the box in the last minute of the game and Mikel stood behind him and told him to throw it to the corner flag I thought Auba was going to cry and I don’t think I be ever seen such a depressed footballer in the interview afterwards.
There is alot of people not being honest about where Arsene had this club. His two worst seasons were when power was being taken away from him, the players knew he was going and he was getting stick from all sides which the players said was affecting them. To finish 5th and 6th under those circumstances was another achievement.
Both managers since had a starters bounce but the club is a million miles away from where it was and the “process” at the moment shows no signs of delivering either performances or results.
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There are no major additions or subtractions from the team so what exactly is going on? seems a general lack of communication in the team… it is after-all a team sport. I see stuff like a player intercepting a ball in midfield and no runners upfront anticipating the forward pass cos there are too many backward passing! Too many! so i actually noted that the person passed forward but alas his mate was expecting a sideways pass and had not moved!
They have to really cut that to a minimum… it is my most frequent source of frustration cos it also leads to lack of urgency in attack…. too much of passing to each other at the backwards in our half.. There is patient build up and then there is arsenal passing backwards and sideways!
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When we are attacking me and my lads have starting shouting “CB on” because invariably that’s where it ends up.
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Arsenal U23’s v Leicester City U23’s at 7 tonight
Okonkwo
Norton-Cuffy, Chambers, Mari, Saliba, Alebiosu
Akinola, Azeez, Cottrell
Moller, Balogun
subs: Ejeheri, Kirk, Dinzeyi, Cirjan, Taylor-Hart
going to be a meltdown from those who demand Balogun plays tomorrow v Everton, and who were sure Mari would be playing too
but on a side note, this selection might mean Martinelli is in the first team squad for the Everton game
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While I think Martinelli is a fantastic player surely it would be madness to let him anywhere near first team football after such a long time out. Wasn’t that what we did with Party.
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seems that it might be a 20 man match day squad from tomorrow, so if it is, and looking at who is playing for the U23’s tonight then I’d expect our squad tomorrow to be something along the lines of
Leno, Runarsson
Bellerin, Cedric, Maitland-Niles, Tierney, David Luiz, Mustafi, Holding
Willock, Ceballos, Elneny
Pepe, Nelson, Saka, Willian, Smith-Rowe
Nketiah, Aubameyang, Lacazette
with only Kolasinac and Martinelli as alternative choices
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I don’t know if anyone has read Guillem Balagues piece in defence of Mikel. There is several claims in it I’m not sure is true especially his take on the Ozil situation
Generally he seems to blame the players, but the whole group not individuals and he does recognise Xhaka’s importance to the team.
He also says we are one of the best teams in Europe at turning the ball over in the opposition half, he produces no stats to back that up and if that is true the lack of goals is even more worrying.
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The lack of goals is really the weirdest part of our game and I ant get my head around it cos we do find our way to the opposition box but somehow seem not to know where the goal post is.
Burnley for Eg; didn’t really play better than us, but alas goals win games – Bottom line. The team that is able to score by whatever means Own goal and all is the winner on the day and gets the points! Winner takes it all..
There is surely less of Wengerball but if lack of goals is then added, we are where we are 15th of the Table!
I still think our passing back is excessive! and more or less predictable… For a change… burst forward unexpectedly… Am no footballer but even I know these are the type of moves that produce goals. More and More teams nowadays eg Spurs are very willing to leave you with the ball with abundance of possession but when they do break – once or 2ce… they score!
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Arsenal Academy
@ArsenalAcademy
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25m
HALF-TIME: #AFCU23 1-1 #LCFCU23
We’re level at the break following @CalumChambers95
‘s opener
👊
#PL2
🏆
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Arsenal Academy
@ArsenalAcademy
·
13m
Superb play from #AFCU23
👏
Cottrell dispossesses Leshabela and plays the ball to Azeez. He dummies the pass to Alebiosu who crosses for @FBalogun67
– and he makes no mistake with the finish
😎
🔴
2-1
🔵
(76) | #PL2
🏆
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Arsenal Academy
@ArsenalAcademy
·
1m
Four consecutive victories for #AFCU23
Clapping hands sign
#PL2
Trophy
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I’ve seen it all now, William Gallas saying there is “something wrong” with Xhaka, and blasting our senior players over “lack of leadership”, jasus, kettle pot and black arse comes to mind.
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Ozil’s agent says they have had contact from lots of clubs all across the world, but still expects mesut to stay for rest of the season at AFC
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New post is up.
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