#ARSCHE match preview by Shard aka @shardgooner on Twitter
Time can be such a weird thing. I was away from Arsenal and Twitter for about a week and it feels like everything has passed me by, and yet nothing has really changed. We lost again. The same arguments are raging. The same outrage, counter outrage, and outrageous opinions, all mixed with some hope (denial) that things will work themselves out.
A week may not be much time, but what of 3 years? In that time frame we have gone from complaining about top 4 not being enough and why Wenger is wrong to somehow it still being Wenger’s fault.
Well, if plus ca change is to be the theme, that might work out well for Arsenal. 5 months ago Arteta was celebrating winning the FA Cup against Lampard’s Chelsea. After all that has happened since, could things be the same again?
No.
Shoelaces tied and lead weight in our socks
Unfortunately, we go into boxing day with our shoelaces tied together, some serious lead weight in our socks, and with our gloves filled with hot air. Our mouth piece though. PRsenal is gritting its teeth, and showing that it is alive and kicking itself in the shin. All good there, then.
Meanwhile our opponents’ pockets and gloves are loaded, and pack quite a punch. They average over 2 goals a game. Tammy Abraham and Timo Werner lead the charge and the likes of Mount and Chilwell provide the ammunition. Kante is their leading tackler, while Zouma is a rock at the back who has also scored 4 goals. Arsenal have to stay sharp for the whole 90+ mins in this game or it could very easily lead to another goal fest against us.
Not that goal fests are bad if you can attack. Chelsea can be got at, but I have no faith in us doing it. I’m not sure anyone really knows what the plan is. The best I can figure is that we hope to repeat by sitting deep and hoping to catch them on the counter. Do a Mourinho. I mean why not. Arteta has been doing that more and more off the field, so maybe this is just the best we can hope for.
Gallows humor to open contempt
Here’s all I care about really. Arsenal are not only no fun to watch, they give me no sense of pride to follow. Pride which has nothing to do with results. By now my gallows humor has turned into open contempt. I never thought such a day would come. Well, at least it’s something new.
Not new is Granit Xhaka being a figure of hate for Arsenal fans and we can look forward to tweets blaming any and all failures on him as he’s back from suspension. Gabriel is back as well, but the Christmas Partey is cancelled. Auba and Martinelli are both being assessed, while Lacazette is only going to be judged. Oh well, we need martyrs for the cause, don’t we? What cause? Can I say MAGA?
Oh, and just to add some good cheer, take a look at where Ivan Gazidis’ new club sit in Serie A. (Anyone who quotes Emery and Villareal at me is getting banned)
I’m not even daring to wish for a Miracle on Hornsey Street. If one is due I hope it goes towards something more important and more deserving than Arsenal FC. I recently got called the Grinch. I hope I’m not ruining anyone’s festive celebrations, but Arsenal doesn’t bring me any good cheer any more. Enjoy your eggnog to go with the likely goose egg coming our way in terms of points.
Merry Christmas, folks…… If the guy(s) in red and white let you down, you know you can only blame yourselves for having been naughty and flying those planes with banners…… And a Happy New Year to all.
Written by Shard aka shardgooner on Twitter.
Welcome back Shard. You were sorely missed. You say things didn’t change much in a week but you have changed. Seems Arteta has drained you of that eternal optimism you once had as recent as game 13rd. Trust me you are not alone. The realization that Arteta is responsible for “our shoelaces tied together, some serious lead weight in our socks, and with our gloves filled with hot air” is now dawning on more and more fans.
Unfortunately there is a considerable number that don’t realize that Arteta has been a failure and his gig will, sooner or later, come to an end. They remain convinced that Arteta and his negative, counter-attacking football will somehow give truth to the bogus narrative, they were fed by the media and the big Arsenal social media accounts, that Wenger was holding the club back by consistently making top-4. Two and one-half years later it is a total disaster and we are getting closer to the relegation zone.
As for Chelsea, Arsenal’s chances of getting a result are slim and none. But we can’t rule it out entirely. Stranger things have happened in football. But i will say this; just like the win over Man Utd, even if we get a positive result over Chelsea it will not change Arsenal’s downward trajectory. Not by a long shot.
Yes. Even if we somehow win, we’re still losing at being the sort of club I care about. So, whatever.
Optimism is good. I STILL wouldn’t mind any tactical issues we have, if the club and the manager behaved like Arsenal should. But they don’t, and as such don’t deserve my loyalty. Arsenal deserve exactly what they are getting at the moment.
With the interest in Arsenal games diminishing i believe the interaction in social media is reducing as well. Such a sorry state of affairs to.be an Arsenal fan atm. I blame the idiot fans who wanted Wenger out as the chief culprit.
Need Xhaka to be captain at Arsenal.
Great win. But has Artetas Arsenal turned the corner? It has to be seen.
Xhaka Laca Bellerin led from the front and the young guns Saka and Tiereny Martinelli clicked well. The idiot fans who criticise Xhaka should be hiding after that Xhaka free kick. Infact Xhaka ran the show. Wondering if Ozil is back in Jan and Auba finds his form with the young lads this team we may still finish top half.
Obviously Arteta need to play attacking football and not the Maureens defence first approach.
However the hundred million dollar question still has to be answered by the WOBS who said we will win the league once Wenger is out of the club.
I’m going to watch the game again but I’m not sure this win comes from a tactical victory. Players played out of their skins. Hopefully we have turned the corner in terms of team morale and togetherness as that does count for a lot. Arteta is still a novice coach and has much to learn. As I said previously, I’m ok with him learning on the job. I just hate when he pretends he has all the answers and acts like a dictator with the team. It’s way too early for him to have that kind of clout and it is backfiring. But if he can adapt and get the team together, our talent is at a high enough level to see us move out of the bottom half now and towards the Europa League spots.
Still…Not going to hold my breath for a longer term revival. But it was a pleasant watch and I am happy to be proved wrong and for the Christmas miracle.
Great win! The young front three played very well as did Arsene’s old lot. Xhaka was the best player on the pitch. Holding held marshalled the backline excellently. Very impressive across the board. The players played with freedom, they kept the ball on the ground and did not swing silly crosses into the box. Whether Arteta gave the players more freedom or they just did it on their own, I know this is not what we have been seeing all season.
What I don’t like is that this win is being used to dis those who did not play. I am convinced that the others players in the team can do likewise, especially if you had someone who could pick a pass. I am not fan of the Willian purchase, but I for sure know that he is not this poor, no way. The players were instructed to play by the numbers and they did just that. These players were not whipping in crosses of their own accord.
Arteta has been the issue, it is now up to him to continue this trend of allowing the players to express themselves and quit his tactics that simply were not working.
Last comment. Arsenal supporters are getting way to ahead of themselves. Enjoy the win by all means but this does not mean we have turned the corner, that will take a string of wins. It is to be seen whether the team can keep this up. Hope so!
Seems today’s podcast by me and George is spot on. We urge our listeners to not get carried away.
https://twitter.com/oh_that_crab/status/1342915188152922112/photo/1
My bad.
look at the crosses stat.
George did bring up the XG in the pod. I made the point that towards the end Chelsea was playing like recent Arsenal, firing in crosses at every chance with similar futility