Please excuse me today as I attempt to put down my thoughts, because honestly they are all over the place. The only thing that is clear in my mind is that I have not got a clear mind. Lets start with last nights game.
For the first 25 minutes we dominated the ball yet failed to have a single attempt on goal. In fact we didn’t have an attempt in the entire first half.
The first goal was a well taken free kick but that kick was a result of a needless foul in a dangerous area. The commentators tried to blame the wall for being weak, but I think it just was over them and a great kick. Sadly, that was basically the end of the game as a contest. For me the next 2 goals were the result of rank bad defending and goalkeeping errors.
The second half was not much better although we did get one back from a wonderful Xhaka delivery from a corner. Truth be told we never threatened to get back into the game.
The question is why were we so ineffective? The answer is quite simple, you all know it because we are all experts in the game and could easily put things right ourselves? Right?
Well no, but that’s the problem. If I was to hazard a guess it would be that Ozil was moving wide to find space and the lack of a midfield runner(namely Ramsey), together with Iwobi and Mkhitaryan being ineffective and also not giving movement in and around the box., meant nothing was created. But really, it’s just a guess.
Anyway, we were soundly beaten by a team that executed their own game plan very well, a huge amount of credit should go to just how good Wolves were.
Once the game was over the fans retreated to their trenches and the attacks began. It was Emery’s fault, it was the players fault or it was Wenger’s fault, depending on which bias you wanted confirmation of.
We were woeful against Everton, dreadful against Palace, poor and lucky against Watford and easy to beat last night. We had a golden opportunity to finish 3rd, let alone 4th, and we have royally ballsed it up. But, this manager and these players also put in decent performances that gave us the golden chance. Yes, it’s all gone wrong, but for a while it was all going well. We tend to forget the good as soon as some bad comes along. It may get worse, then again it might get better.
I long for the attacking jazz play we used to get from Arsene’s teams,but we should also remember the thrashings we got when it didn’t work. There were times when we looked toothless,weak and even clueless.
After the Palace defeat Emery came out and defended Mustafi, that showed class and strength from our head coach. His post match press conference last night was fantastic. He didn’t throw any player under the bus, he knew what had gone wrong and where we could have done better. I think he is too negative and pragmatic, but he seems a very decent man and he has been successful at smaller clubs than us and at a mega club, there is a good chance he can be successful for us.
We had one of the all time great managers for 22 years, if we expect Emery to be as good , let alone better, then we will be hugely disappointed. It doesn’t matter if you thought Arsene was great or rubbish, the comparisons to him are pointless. By all means be critical of Emery, but at least understand the difficulties he has in front of him.
This blog was built on the shoulders of people like Arsenal Andrew,Andy Nic, Zim Paul and Frank, we must remember this:-
“If you are a fan of the club who needs to vent their frustration by denouncing players who are “Notfittoweartheshirt”, or who delights disparaging the efforts of the club’s former or current coaches then the site is probably not for you. If you are an expert in the football transfer market, in sports medicine, in the mechanics of running a £1.5 billion sports business etcetera then it may be that PA is an insufficient platform for that abundance of your accumulated knowledge. There are many other blogs on which you will be much, much more at home.”
And I am talking to you Pedantic George(that’s me for any new readers) as well , by the way.
Finally, our friend Mills posted this. This is what the site should be about,have a read.
“It’s always the same, how aftv don’t seem to understand what football is or how it operates. Wolves are having a honeymoon at the moment, the cat shall mew and the wolf have its day, but the woodman( relegation) is always standing next to them waiting. They needed to beat us, it validates them, but for Arsenal, who wants to go to Wolves? Its of little interest, and in a way its a big fault on our part, but I’m sure man yof the other top 6 teams feel the same, in a way its the Problem of the EPL? Don’t get me wrong, its pretty disappointing, how can it not be?
I just don’t think the lads felt inspired and if they play in an uninspired way without parking the bus, bad play and mistakes will happen. Its unlike Leno to make a couple of mistakes, and its unlike Kos to not mark up really well. The whole season has been devoid of getting in a good place mentally and building on it. But we have the potential, we can see it, its all there.
aftv think that Man City and Liverpool and Arsenal of 20 yrs ago just come out of no-where or you can pay. Cash helps but still it needs a geist. Good psychology and getting a unity(or even a general unity) is the key, then all things proceed from there. Of course its not plain sailing, its keeping on the path, reacting to causes and effects and thats easier said than done.It doesn’t come when youre watching either.
For example, the lads now have to get up from these two games and do their best, but if the geist bogs off, how to you get flow and rhythm? How do you keep unity and a good geist in all players?Go on social media and get advice form people who cant kick a ball properly but know everything in hindsight.
It concerns me that people think that going to a game, then slagging the team off afterwards because they didn’t get what they wanted (“im the paying customer!”)because they believe they are the real deal (and a manager) because loud voices and sensationalism get attention, is supporting. No it isn’t. Its only part of the equation. We’ve all spent loads of money going, as did generations before me. Without social media what then for these commentators? Why do they think they are right? If they were in charge what then? What the film the Matrix misunderstood, is that everyone thinks they are the one.
On a petty level they give too much ammunition to other teams to throw at the club. 5th columnists, and its unconscious, which makes it all the more scary.
Of course my opinions are as worthless or worthy as theirs, but I don’t claim to be right, just to try and add another perspective. They doesn’t make me righteous either, more than likely a tool. But the world suffers unnecessarily…
The club imo, should ban the players from looking and interacting with social media,(and people like me) its could also stop playing up to the likes of aftv, what for? Because they proclaim themselves the in crowd? Outside any in-crowd circle are people who are also worthy, all that in-crowd stuff is nonsense anyway. All is fleeting.
Every single player who went out last night is a good player, has proved for years they are good players. It didn’t happen, Liverpool and City, just like ManUre and Chelsea and us will also experience this, its football. Wolves are king of their dung heap, let them have it. Soon enough another will come along crowing all knowing.On another day and with the right flow, they would have lost 3-1. and the season isnt lost yet either.
And the ship sails on.COYG!”
Positively Arsenal 