It takes just a few minutes of good offensive play to beat Arsenal these days, and that's all the Seagulls needed today. After Pepe's goal, I was screaming for Arteta to replace Lacazette with a midfielder, but he didn't and we paid the price. I have no idea what those substitutions were supposed to accomplish.
Leno's looked like season ending injury. Another nail in our coffin.
Saturday, June 20, 2020
Wednesday, June 17, 2020
A Day to Forget: MC 3 - 0 ARS and JUV 0 - 0 NAP* (2-4)
Don't blame it all on David Luiz. We were second best all game. Tierney kept allowing their forward to get open inside him in the penalty area. All of our center halfs were shaky. Only Bernd Leno can be proud of his performance; had he not been in top form, it could have been 6-0. I liked the way our youngsters kept at it. Eddie was a real handful. Joe Willock was fairly anonymous, but Saka and Guendouzi were lively. Xhaka, Mari, and Mustafi going down injured was a blow; for City, Garcia's horrific injury will be a downer despite the scoreline. Dreadful stuff all around; even the weather was filthy.
Arteta will have a lot to discuss with his men and little time to do it. I don't know who's left at CB; Rob, Calum, and Sokratis? Do we even have Mavropanos healthy? We could still have a very successful run-in. Arteta will not let anyone give up. And if Luiz gets another minute, I'll be surprised.
A poor game was followed by the usual PK nonsense in the Copa Italia final in Rome. The only bright spot was that this game played 80% concurrently with Arsenal's, so I saw a lot less than half of it, and I allowed myself to be distracted from the mess in the Etihad for a while by the mess in the Stadio Olimpico. I would have hated to waste another hour + on these flaming bags of poo.
Arteta will have a lot to discuss with his men and little time to do it. I don't know who's left at CB; Rob, Calum, and Sokratis? Do we even have Mavropanos healthy? We could still have a very successful run-in. Arteta will not let anyone give up. And if Luiz gets another minute, I'll be surprised.
A poor game was followed by the usual PK nonsense in the Copa Italia final in Rome. The only bright spot was that this game played 80% concurrently with Arsenal's, so I saw a lot less than half of it, and I allowed myself to be distracted from the mess in the Etihad for a while by the mess in the Stadio Olimpico. I would have hated to waste another hour + on these flaming bags of poo.
Thursday, April 23, 2020
Perspective?
I'm finding that I don't miss Arsenal, and football, as much as I thought I would. I hope a few billion humans are coming to the same conclusion. The economic fallout from this crisis is going to scramble expectations. The biggest clubs will probably be fine, including Arsenal. Stadiums may prove not to have been the best investment, though, so Spurs may be regretting their magnificent new edifice and the debt that came with it. Some clubs weren't far from bankruptcy as it is, and this will push them over the edge. Players are going to have to take pay cuts. Our men went first in the EPL, accepting a 12.5% cut, but that is going to be just the start.
Sports in general are a communal experience, both playing and (for most people) spectating. We've all seen high profile games that were televised before empty stadia. It's not the same. There is nothing wrong with a big decline in interest in big time football. It may even be healthy. I'll be following Arsenal when things start up again. I'm even watching recorded games on occasion now. But I hope I can maintain some more emotional distance.
I got through a messy divorce from the Baltimore Orioles a couple decades ago. We were happy together from the 1960s through the 1980s, But Peter Angelos came between us, and after a disappointing decade I called it quits and barely even follow them in the paper anymore. I never watch them try to play. I'm not saying that Stan Kroenke is as bad as Angelos--yet--but I know there is life after I fall out of love with a club, so I realize I don't actually need Arsenal. That's liberating.
Sports in general are a communal experience, both playing and (for most people) spectating. We've all seen high profile games that were televised before empty stadia. It's not the same. There is nothing wrong with a big decline in interest in big time football. It may even be healthy. I'll be following Arsenal when things start up again. I'm even watching recorded games on occasion now. But I hope I can maintain some more emotional distance.
I got through a messy divorce from the Baltimore Orioles a couple decades ago. We were happy together from the 1960s through the 1980s, But Peter Angelos came between us, and after a disappointing decade I called it quits and barely even follow them in the paper anymore. I never watch them try to play. I'm not saying that Stan Kroenke is as bad as Angelos--yet--but I know there is life after I fall out of love with a club, so I realize I don't actually need Arsenal. That's liberating.
The Wrong Headline
The Guardian has a story about Arsenal players violating contact guidelines, and several paragraphs down, it says:
Walker was definitely not social distancing.
Several players have been caught flouting the government guidelines since the UK introduced a lockdown to help curb the spread of coronavirus.
Jack Grealish was found to have attended a house party, Kyle Walker hosted a party of his own with two sex workers and Mason Mount was spotted playing five-a-side with Declan Rice.
Walker was definitely not social distancing.
Saturday, February 29, 2020
Crashing Out of Europe
I thought it was a long shot to hope for winning the Europa League. There are too many good teams in it. Arsenal showed it just isn't strong enough to beat them and that's reality. Arteta has to take some of the blame. He must have worked on set piece defense, but what he said apparently did not sink in. Those two goals were really soft. Olympiakos players cruised in untouched and with no one to beat but the keeper. Ridiculous.
The only positive I get from this is that Saka might get a few days off now and then. We're in serious danger of running him into the ground. Other than that, it's a disaster to be ejected so early from a cup competition. At least it used to be the Champion's League we'd be dismissed from in the first knockout round.
The only positive I get from this is that Saka might get a few days off now and then. We're in serious danger of running him into the ground. Other than that, it's a disaster to be ejected so early from a cup competition. At least it used to be the Champion's League we'd be dismissed from in the first knockout round.
Sunday, February 23, 2020
Arsenal 3 - 2 Everton
The Toffees have been good guests in recent years, and we have no reason to complain (well Sead might) about them today. Their goals both came off set pieces and some questions can be asked about how Kolasinac and Bellerin kept the scorers onside, but that's how it goes sometimes. Our goals all came in the run of play and were gorgeous. Saka's cross and Eddie's finish for the first were majestic--wow. The through ball from Luiz, and the run and finish from Auba, for the second were equally sublime. Auba's header from Pepe's excellent cross was both brave and expertly done. There were several more chances for both sides, too. It was a great show.
Saka must be feeling the wear and tear of being used so often. In the second half, he gave the ball away several times. Tierney is probably not going to be fit until April, and Kolasinac appears to be another long term absence; it's a worry. Why not Maitland-Niles as backup? I know he's a right footer, but he can play fullback.
Nketieh justified his selection, but I really expected Laca to start.
Ceballos blows hot and cold. This was a dropoff from his last EPL outing, but on balance he was fine. Ozil was similarly in and out of the game. Xhaka continued his run of excellent form. The assist from Pepe was great; when he has time he can put in a perfect ball. His decision making is a little off the pace most of the time, though; he can beat almost anyone on the dribble, but tends to keep the ball too long. Auba had two really fine goals and helped on defense. Bellerin is pretty solid now. Our center halves did the business and we can have no big complaints about them. Leno was once again superb.
Don't look now, but we're just four points off fifth, the final ECL spot this year now that City has been banned from Europe. Just win, men!
Saka must be feeling the wear and tear of being used so often. In the second half, he gave the ball away several times. Tierney is probably not going to be fit until April, and Kolasinac appears to be another long term absence; it's a worry. Why not Maitland-Niles as backup? I know he's a right footer, but he can play fullback.
Nketieh justified his selection, but I really expected Laca to start.
Ceballos blows hot and cold. This was a dropoff from his last EPL outing, but on balance he was fine. Ozil was similarly in and out of the game. Xhaka continued his run of excellent form. The assist from Pepe was great; when he has time he can put in a perfect ball. His decision making is a little off the pace most of the time, though; he can beat almost anyone on the dribble, but tends to keep the ball too long. Auba had two really fine goals and helped on defense. Bellerin is pretty solid now. Our center halves did the business and we can have no big complaints about them. Leno was once again superb.
Don't look now, but we're just four points off fifth, the final ECL spot this year now that City has been banned from Europe. Just win, men!
Sunday, February 16, 2020
Arsenal 4 - 0 Newcastle
It wasn't a perfect performance. We allowed too many free kicks in dangerous areas and too many corners. The Toons could have potted two goals. The first half was laborious. However, the second half showcased how Arteta is getting more out of this collection of talented players than we were getting before. Pepe with a goal and an assist! Ozil scores! Auba rolls on! Laca with a goal and an assist in just a few minutes! A CLEAN SHEET! This is the sort of game that builds confidence. And now we're in positive goal difference territory.
With Hector back and Saka playing left back, we are a terror on the wings. I can't wait until Tierney or Kolasinac works into playing shape, so Saka gets a rest now and then. Maitland-Niles must be on the outs with Arteta not to get any time on the field lately; he was a very good deputy for Bellerin. With Soares coming in and our crowded midfield lineup, he has to be thinking about an exit strategy.
I kept waiting for a Mustafi Moment, but he was solid again. David Luiz sent several long balls into touch, but I think it was part of the strategy to get their fullbacks worried about the long throughball so the middle third was more open, and it seemed to work fine. This is the sort of game Ozil can take over, and he played his part. Ceballos was quite good. Xhaka did well too, but he is going to get a second yellow one game soon.
The front line scoring goals--lovely.
This was one we expected to win, and to be fair we made hard work of it in the first half, but the pressure told and we opened them up frequently all second half, albeit allowing them two or three prime chances too. Being Newcastle at the Emirates, they spurned them.
Olympiakos. Again. Let's progress, men!
I think we have our Arsenal back.
With Hector back and Saka playing left back, we are a terror on the wings. I can't wait until Tierney or Kolasinac works into playing shape, so Saka gets a rest now and then. Maitland-Niles must be on the outs with Arteta not to get any time on the field lately; he was a very good deputy for Bellerin. With Soares coming in and our crowded midfield lineup, he has to be thinking about an exit strategy.
I kept waiting for a Mustafi Moment, but he was solid again. David Luiz sent several long balls into touch, but I think it was part of the strategy to get their fullbacks worried about the long throughball so the middle third was more open, and it seemed to work fine. This is the sort of game Ozil can take over, and he played his part. Ceballos was quite good. Xhaka did well too, but he is going to get a second yellow one game soon.
The front line scoring goals--lovely.
This was one we expected to win, and to be fair we made hard work of it in the first half, but the pressure told and we opened them up frequently all second half, albeit allowing them two or three prime chances too. Being Newcastle at the Emirates, they spurned them.
Olympiakos. Again. Let's progress, men!
I think we have our Arsenal back.
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