Hello and how are you? Sunday 12th of January sees the Mighty Cannon host our old rivals of another era, Manchester United in the 3rd round of the FA Cup, kick off 3.00pm (western European time).
Well, here we go again! I’m hoping that we can slough off the skin of frustration that came out of the 70% possession, 24 shots, 11 corner kicks, 3 French hens, but only 1 shot on target first leg of the Carabao semi-final. I’m hoping Kai doesn’t think too much when he has a chance to score from a header, and I’m sorry to see that old problem rise again (as it was when he first came) also I’m hoping that Martinelli doesn’t panic when he has a shooting chance. Its easy to be the hindsight, advice-giving, non-playing guru though. Thankfully I’m not the guru or good at giving advice. What a nightmare that would be…
I read that Newcastle ‘outclassed’ Arsenal in that game, personally I’m a bit sceptical about that, certainly they took their few chances and we didn’t, and they parked the bus, throwing man after man in desperation to block all they could and it worked. On another day we might have hit them for four or more. But we didn’t. Bad day at the physics lab! However the tie isn’t over yet and the landscape of football will be different for good or bad when the 2nd leg gets under way.
We might not be favourites, but that too, might go our way, hubris might be the undoing of Newcastle yet? There is one question that’s niggling me, is Isak a bit overrated? Of course judging by which scale, but it is a question worth asking. We are so missing up front that the idea of anyone can be a bit tempting?
Perhaps, and maybe it is only perhaps, if the shuffle and seaweed-scrape of the Brighton game with its preposterous penalty decision might have gone our way then who knows how we might have ventured in the semi-final? Newcastle had their tails up going into that game as we sometimes do and sometimes don’t. But that’s be the main problem of our team this season? However, scenario-speculation is a sure heck of a waste of time?
Even though this sites called Positively Arsenal I’m not some Pollyanna character, although I’m sure Pollyanna had a good life and good mental health, but I haven’t given up hope yet in that game. Sorry, there’s nothing I can do, I support Arsenal, and my version of that is a bit simplistic and dippy really, even if 3-0 down I still think we can do it, I know what it makes me, but that’s the way it is. When the second Newcastle goal went in, I still urged our boys on to hopefully get a goal to keep us in the tie and will still go into the 2nd leg believing we can do it, even if they get an early goal which I’m sure will be their aim, like.
Ok, enough of that crap, so its onto our old enemy ManUre. And in the cup. Oh brother, why them and now? Their draw against Liverpool probably has invigorated them, and despite us being grateful for the dropping of a couple of Scouse points, they will make the trip down south with a little gleam in the eye. Well fork that! Who do you think you are the milkman?
The Mighty Cannon has been given a 58.7% chance of winning according to stat HQ AI, whilst thems from Old Toilet are only on a 17.5% chance. I’m sure United have looked endlessly at the Newcastle game and will try to use it as a blue print for beating us. But watch out Madchester, that was the first time we’ve lost since Villa came and did the business last April, and we are sore , we want revenge and we don’t like you. Grrr! You hear me?
“what that? I can’t quite hear you”
The cup might not be what it was, but then what is? Anyhow, by the time Sunday comes, I’m sure Arteta and the lads will be pumped up and ready to rumble. If not then we are going to need some mega-vitamins to get over the grumbles when facing the Spuds. I was going to get into a big rant about a racist ManUre fan I worked with years a go, but I’m saving that one, the worlds negative enough without me digging up old graves and us examining the rotting corpses together. Pfui!
Well that’s it, lots of bits and pieces that I’m sure have made you feel like going off and listening to your old Del La Soul records instead of reading this. Yodel-eh-e-oh!
Even so, here’s to a great game for us and lucky horses!
COYG and keep on keepin’ on!
Mills
Positively Arsenal 
I think Isak is “that” good.
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I
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I personally think that we got sussed out, but as much as I think that we could turn it around, I know the odds are well against us and it will take one of the biggest performances we can muster
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well on the league cup semi final I go back to the 1987 league cup semi final, arsenal away to spurs in the second leg and at halt time in the second leg Arsenal trailed 2-0 on agg, having lost the first leg 1-0 and being 1-0 in the second game, the famous 2 nil up and you fucked it up came from that night, Arsenal going through 3-2 on agg, so why not this time around
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but on the performance v newcastle, its stupidity to suggest the toon outclassed arsenal in that game, the first goal should have been ruled out for a push on odegaard, especially as there was VAR for the semi, and the second one the goalies parry could have gone anywhere but it landed at Gordon’s feet to tap in.
We had lots of half chances, on the Kai chance, the ball took an odd trajectory off the defender who half blocked the cross, and the ball spun a lot which seen it drop in a strange manner, which Kai misjudged or did not expect.
But overall we created sweet fuck all from open play, that is the main gripe many have about our performance, and I suppose many like myself are guilty of bypassing the half chances we really should have scored from that we got at corners, Timber and Gabriel missed sitters from corners, but I suppose in our attempts to express our displeasure about our stagnant open play we did not give credit for the chaos our corners caused. But the point remains that goals from corners should be the icing on the cake, not the actual cake. The only game in recent weeks where we went out toe to toe and played open attacking football was the second half v Crystal Palace in the league cup, that was ably abetted by palace who continued to play open football and did not shut up shop, which is where we struggle so badly, as Newcastle showed, they went two banks of 5 and our open play danger was almost zero cos it was way too slow and risk averse.
Many believe that if we sign a world class CF then all our open play problems will disappear, but for me that is wishful thinking, unless Arteta is going to change our approach, which I really can’t see. We get a top class striker and fans will soon enough consider him a flop when he spends 80% of the game defending, holding sterile possession and playing paint by numbers football and still be expected to put away that one chance, (out of our 2 or 3 chances created in the game,) that actually falls to him
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Anyway on to the utd game, and the players to have played for both Arsenal and Man Utd
well some of the most recent are Robin Rat Persie, Alexi Sanchez, Mikael Silvestre, Henri Mkhitaryan and Danny Welbeck.
If we go back a bit further we had the original rat Frank Stapleton, who actually turned down the king pins at the time Liverpool, who had offered us a far bigger fee than utd but Frank was getting the big bucks at utd so he went there. Viv Anderson who I see many Gooners do not like or rate, but for me he was a class act for us. Andy Cole was a big star for utd, I think he only played in one first team game for us before George Graham sold him, and talking about GG he played for utd as well as AFC.
A guy I really rated who we signed from utd was Brian Kidd, he top scored for us in his couple of seasons with us, but like so often at AFC he was on the way out once we were in for Malcolm McDonald, so instead of having two top class strikers we didn’t go that extra mile to build a league winning squad.
our goalie at the time kidd was here was Jimmy Rimmer, he had before that played for utd, and we sold him to aston villa where he won the league and european cup. Jimmy was good but he was no pat jennings.
now the last one I remember playing for both was once, might still be, a good quiz question, the footballer with the shortest name to play pro football in england — Ian Ure. He was a big lump of a central defender
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1987 03 01 Spurs v Arsenal League Cup Semi Final 2nd Leg Highlights
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When people comment on the game they normally comment on the result so the result suggest Newcastle outclassed us.
However if we talk about any game and any team being more classier than the other then we don’t talk about chances or goal mouth scrambles from corners. What we do talk about is the football and certainly for the first twenty minutes Newcastle were certainly better, a lot better. In fact where either team played well it was Newcastle who were more precise, more clinical and frankly more pretty. So purely in football terms yes they outplayed us.
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Just a note about Andy Cole. He played in all the summer friendlies and terrorised some very good foreign teams. He then came on in the charity shield against the spuds and again scared the life out of them. He was absolutely nailed on to be a first player in that season then mysteriously he was farmed out to Bristol when clubs all around the top division knew about him. It was widely rumoured he stole lots of wallets from the dressing room and that’s why he was got rid of so quickly.
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interesting ian, I had seen some others mention something about thefts but thought that was in relation to pennant not cole
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what was it that Chris Whyte got up to
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I was at both home and away games against spurs and the first was a boring game with a scrambled goal by Clive Allen the was offside. Even when they scored against us at the shithole we never thought we were out of it.
We was good on set pieces at the time and also good at open play. Being a GG side we were obviously very tight at the back and not many teams could score more than one goal a game against us.
Todays side cannot match that side or many others since in being able to turn around a game half way through.
We are a side who can have little threat, from open play, one week and loads the next. We have a month to find answers and become more clinical and that is really doable.
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The game against manure is the second in a trilogy of really important games in three competitions. If you had to lose one of the three then the two legged affair would be the one so you had the chance to put it right. The next two games are one offs and we need to win.
At home we are usually very strong and manure are a bit of an unknown under their new manager. They have had two very good results against city and pool and some shit results against smaller sides.
So some might say playing us at this time away, so they can sit back and counter, might suit them down to the ground but I think we can really hurt them.
They still panic at dead ball situations even though they are more organised and they still aren’t used to playing amorins style. Yes we will have to be careful getting caught out on quick breaks.
Both city and pool missed chances against them so both defensively and going forward this game is up to us COYG.
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well Ian I think that the current team is almost totally reliant on scoring first, its set up to totally dominate possession, even if that means sterile possession. Everyone’s first duty is to not let us be opened up. Once we score we can pick off teams if they open up in an effort to draw level, its why we do so well against the top 6 teams, they come to play, if we get a lead we are hard to beat. But as we seen v Everton and even Ipswich after they went behind, if they don’t come out to play we really struggle to cut loose. In the last month or two the only teams who came at us toe to toe were Monaco in the CL and Crystal Palace in the CC, and we looked good in attack, but we were open at the back and gave up many chances. Arteta did not like that. Our system and tactics rely on a Saka type, someone who works his ass off to defend, but still has the energy and belief to take the risks and get in shots and assists, but he is out, maybe even for the rest of the season. We actually really could do with a peak Sterling, but nothing we have seen from his so far on his loan is peak anything.
The only move we had v Newcastle that looked off the cuff and free was the Martinelli chance, a couple of quick passes, a first time Trossard pass and Martinelli was away and with room to shoot, it hit the post. But we never came close to that sort of quick play for the rest of the game, and once they took the lead they sat back mostly, and our slow play allowed them to. Martinelli put in 11 crosses v Newcastle and not one found an AFC teammate, we could do with having a Giroud and Ramsey type pair in this team, a Giroud to bounce one two plays off, someone to hold up play, and most of all someone to contest for the crosses, and then we could do with a ramsey type, someone who wants to get from midfield into the scoring zone, who will shoot from outside the area, but who is just as happy to get into the six yard box on the end of moves, a midfielder who is going to be the overload in attack.
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Thank you Mills. Never ever apologise for being optimistic and positive. In a world filled with an obsessive love of fault finding negativity we need folk like you.
I don’t know anything about this Isak fellow. If you don’t play for Arsenal you have to be pretty special to be on my radar. I don’t get excited about saviours from other clubs – they’re just as soon relegated to yesterday’s news – and are usually just a way of saying we’re not good enough.
This season has seen enforced rotation of our squad, multiple injuries to players who occupy the same position and in multiple positions too. Nothing the manager can do about that and no point us dwelling.
I prefer to look at the positives. Miles at left back has been an absolute revelation. His calmness and strength in a tight spot matched with vision and skill is breathtaking, especially at such a young age. Amazing.
This season is a tough learning curve for our young manager, but it was always going to happen, and the last time I checked we’re still doing ok despite everything.
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Thanks Stew, much appreciated!
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Thanks Mills – and thanks too to all the ‘posters’. My Pollyanna tendencies are a bit complicated, as one way and another I realised quite early that everything is terrible, but have this strange need to try to keep that knowledge from everyone else.
I’m feeling a bit anxious about today’s game as I’m wearing (for the first time) the Christmas present my family gave me, the old retro long sleeved 1970s style Arsenal shirt (to replace the one the Moths feasted on) so who knows whether it will bring luck or the opposite.
In terms of cup games I’m happier to be playing Man U at home today than the game the Spuds were handed: away at Tamworth on the 3G pitch is the real stuff of cup-upset nightmare.
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Thanks Heady, hope its a lucky shirt!
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Arsenal: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly, Merino, Jorginho, Odegaard, Martinelli, Jesus, Havertz.
Subs: Neto, Zinchenko, Tierney, Kiwior, Partey, Rice, Trossard, Sterling, Butler-Oyedeji
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Calafiori out injured again, we really bought a dud there
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Amazing that Neto not deemed good enough to start today, he is cup tied for the league cup but is available for the FA Cup but we don’t rest Raya in the one game we can.
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Manchester United XI: Bayindir, De Ligt, Maguire, Martinez, Mazroui, Mainoo, Ugarte, Dalot, Fernandes, Garnacho, Hojlund
Subs: Onana, Zirkzee, Malacia, Eriksen, Yoro, Amad, Casemiro, Antony, Collyer
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both Timber and Lewis-Skelly have so far both taken an age to take a throw in, probably only a matter of time before one of them gets a booking for it
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Martinelli goal ruled out for offside
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Martinez booked
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Fernandes booked for dissent, he was clearly fouled by Jesus and he threw his boot twice in a fit of rage.
Jesus injured himself in that incident and is stretchered off, Sterling on
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in the incident where Martinez was booked, Jesus had to get lengthy treatment to his knee, then when he tripped Fernandes it seemed like that what caused him to clip the utd player was his studs catching in the pitch, which must have finished off his knee.
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odegaard down injured, up now but limping
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half time — 0-0, we’ve had all the possession but not a single shot on target from us, one from utd. We had a goal disallowed for offside but it looked like maguire played the ball but it was deemed a deflection.
too slow in our play
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Dalot booked for bad foul on lewis-skelly
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fernandes fires utd into the lead, a quick break and they show what a bit of speed in your play can do, arteta could learn a thing or two on that front
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Havertz misses a good chance, mishits it
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ugarte booked for kicking the ball away, he should have been booked five minutes ago for a barge on sterling
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correction, it was mainoo who got booked for kicking the ball away
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Dalot sent off, second yellow, he was stupid
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Garlrielllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll 1-1
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it deflected in off de ligt
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Havertz wins a penalty
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Maguire has lost his head,
ref had out his yellow card but no one seemed to get a yellow
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Odegaard the dick misses the penalty, poorly taken penalty not enough pace on it
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Rice on for Merino who had a very poor game
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Seems Maguire did get booked, but so did Gabriel and Havertz
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ahhh poor header from Rice is saved
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Timber replaced by Partey, looks like Timber was holding his hamstring
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Trossard came on at start of extra time for Lewis-Skelly
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half time in extra time, we are getting close but not close enough
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Raya with a great save right at start of second half of extra time
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Tierney on for the injured jorginho, we really could have done with Jorginho staying on if this goes to penalties
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we have a corner in the last minute of extra time
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going to penalties, that was poor from us, missed way too many half chances, we take far too many touches before shooting, it gives defenders time to get in blocks
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