Courtesy of Wikimedia
An expected loss and an unexpected performance away to Anfield has not laid to rest the debate about Arsenal’s playing style and whether this season can and will be better.
But you know what? It doesn’t matter. Because up next we face that lot from down the road. The ones who live in the huge shadow we cast, and hate us for it. They’ve had their best period in living memory and found their best manager in a couple of decades and to their intense delight, have not had the spectre of St Totteringham appear for a few years now. Such is the height of their ambition and they have been fulfilling it.
Our role in this is to give them just enough hope that the tide has now turned for good, and snatch it away from them just as they start to believe. This oughtn’t to be too difficult seeing as even in Torino they know that ‘this is the history of the Tottenham.’
Speaking of Torino, it is the city that Aaron Ramsey, the blessed Welsh Jesus, now calls home. Last season, he was fighting the forces of shiteness both on our home turf, and on his home turf, as he so gloriously declared. But due to avoidable circumstances, he is no longer with us in body, but hopefully we’ll show the same spirit.
Tottenham too will show spirit. They proudly wave the English flag for youngsters who are closer to retirement than starting their careers. They bravely dive. They loudly screech, ‘This means VAR’ when they don’t get their usual way. The Pgmo have brought out their big gun again as Martin Atkinson will take charge. It’s almost like he never went away since we last saw him.
But all is not well in the Go Compare Opera House. Some of their cock a hoop ‘stars’ may not be available, or in the right frame of mind if they are. Dele Alli is injured, Christian Eriksen and Serge Aurier are both rumoured to be on their way out, and Toby Alderweireld’s contract is an issue. They have also had problems with Jan Vertonghen. Pochettino called it his most unsettled squad and has generally borne a frustrated demeanour.
But make no mistake, he will want to take it all out on us. They lost to Newcastle last week, but form really will go out the window with this game. It’s early in the season, and both teams have something to prove. Playing at home gives us the advantage, but also puts more pressure on us to take the initiative.
In terms of the season, this is a proverbial six pointer. But its significance lies well beyond such puny things as Champions League qualification. It is history. It is tradition. It is pride. It’s the North London Derby, and Arsenal are the greatest team the world has ever seen. Time to feast on some chickens.
Arsenal: Leno, AMN, Sokratis, Luiz, Monreal, Xhaka, Torreira, Ceballos, Auba, Laca, Pepe. Subs: Martinez, Kolasinac, Chambers, Guendouzi, Willock, Ozil, Nelson.
Spurs: Who cares?
Another week, another proposed Arsenal line up without Ozil. In a North London Derby to boot. Meanwhile the legions of Spurs supporters in the media are grieving the potential loss of Eriksen, their creative hub, that pale imitation of Ozil. Irony of ironies. Hey Shard, my friend, how do you explain this one?
Emery.
I proposed Ozil in the starting lineup last week. He didn’t even make the squad.
One of the things i could not get over last season was how Poch could get the best out of Ericksen to me an inferior player to Ozil in every department but emery could not get the best out Ozil. Really baffled me.
I dont like to look at them over the road but Dele ali, Erickson, Lamela are all way inferior to Ozil in every departement and Poch gets the best out of these inferior players.
After Belerin is Ozil the longest serving Arsenal player in the first team?
Seems like we have lost a lot of familiar and experienced players in the last 18months.
So on Saturday the squad contained 8 players purchased during his reign, 4 youths none blooded by emery, so that left 6 player purchased during Wengers reign.
Just find it interseting he is using the majority of his players and choices now.
Who is emerys go to guy in that squad? it appears to be Geunduzi!!
Also who did he give debuts to last year from the youth team?
it will be interesting to note their progress under him.
All this nonsense about UE needing a few transfer windows, when, as you rightly comment, most of the team are his signings.
The difference seems to be that the non-UE signing may not yet have learned that they have to do exactly what they are told and not to use their initiative or inspiration.
Willock and the other youngsters learned that lesson very quickly, led by the headless chicken himself Guendouzi.
I may be a cynic, but after nearly 60 years supporting this club, and seeing the whole spctrum of our team from the sublime to the riciculous, I think I may be entitled express such a point of view.
I am travelling and Uncensored may not have new articles due to some problems with the wi-fi radio on my laptop. Fingers crossed i can sort it out.
Our chances ought to be boosted by the injuries and disruptions in the Spurs squad. This has to be a good time to play them. Walker Peters and Foyth out. Eric Dier likely out. Serge Aurier might be leaving the club and may not play. Same with Eriksen. Dele Alli is only just coming back.
We really ought to beat these pretenders, and beat them comprehensively. No more of this reactive nonsense. Go out and dominate, and then keep dominating instead of letting up and going into our shells. Unai Emery needs to adopt the Arsenal way. Not be this chameleon any more.
I’m expecting a win tomorrow.
Possibly:
Same Back 5?
Chambers might feel hard done by and Monreal might be gone.
The midfield?
*sighs* how can anyone even speculate when Emery himself appears, so far, not to know what a midfield is. I can write that as a midfield does not only exist to counter attack, as highlighted in various summeries of Emery’s style this week. he doesn’t want to play in midfield. The stats and heat maps from the last year back that up.
Given the easy predictably of Guendouzi playing too much at the start of the season I don’t want to speculate on the midfield.
The attack picks itself unless the coach knew how to use the best playmaker from the last decade as he was used when he led his country’s attack to a WC victory, it’s the obvious option ahead a flat three in the midfield and it’s tragedy for Emery that he can’t do it as Ozil already has his WC medal LOL And the six trophies in four years record at the club.
If Matteo is a midfielder of a style similar to Khadeira (not saying he’ll hit those heights! Not for almost a decade if ever!!) then it’s an obvious option!
Well.
Emery went with the Huddersfield midfield.
As predicted above.
And that midfield was shite.
Against Huddersfield. At Home.
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My other guess was Unai would go for the back three. And given how poor that midfield was, it’d probably have been the better option!
The facts on the football pitch continue to highlight the poor football from the lesser Mourinho.
If Emery can’t get the mix right at the start of a match in midfield with the options he has had at AFC last season and so far this season: he never will.
because only a funting idiot ignores playing the best CM in the league in CM whilst in the process decimating their own reputation as a coach in the world of Football. Ceballos already underused and he won’t play as a no.8 as often as his teammates who like, as often as the team will need. Hope I’m wrong there but as Shard wisely commentated:
“This Chameleon cannot change its spots.”
Billy the Big Blagger is now starting to paraphrase what most Arsenal football club fans have been saying about the football, what George and Shotta said last season.
Yep.
The hope that we might see the new no.8 who replaced the old no.8 asked to play often as a no.8 is fast receeding.
Not a surprise really when Emery couldn’t play the best no.8 in the league as a no.8.
New post up.