In case you’re wondering, I think this would be the blog’s theme tune if it was a TV or radio programme.
Football arrives, taking our minds away from other distractions. The Champions League visit of Olympiac(k)os to The Emirates offers a quick return to winning aways or a nascent disasterous run (© Willing Media Inc) which will spell the end of the Premier and Champions Leagues challenges. Defeat tonight would in fact signal neither but it would continue the dismay from Saturday’s result against Chelsea. Arsenal have never lost to Greek opposition at home and according to informed sources, Olympiac(k)os like to lose in England. They almost insist on it, making them the ideal opposition to sit back, park the bus on the edge of their area and try to take a point. With the owner facing allegations of corruption and potentially fines on top of that, parking the bus seems a sensible cost-cutting option, saving on the £7 car parking fee.
Not that the injury Gods are helping Arsène. Just as hopes rise with the coming returns of Wilshere, Sagna and Rosicky – I’ll assume that Abou Diaby will pop his head round the corner at some point but who knows for how long – news emerges of Mikel Arteta struggling for fitness for tonight’s encounter. Personally, I would rest the Spaniard and do everything possible to make sure he is fit for Saturday; this is after all, the point of the squad system. It is not as if there isn’t cover. Coquelin offered the opinion that he would be seeking new employers if he did not get first team action; tonight is that opportunity but when such claims are delivered, you have to deliver when the opportunity arises.
It is going to be a tall order for anyone to replace Diaby. According to the manager, they can’t,
It is as an opportunity for somebody else to stand up and play, but it is a blow. Not only because we lost a good player but because he has qualities that the other players haven’t got. We have better balance size-wise and [in terms of] strength [when he is in the team] because he has power.
That essentially tells the rest of the squad that the first choice midfield is Diaby, Cazorla and Arteta. Lucky for them that two of that trio are probably going to miss tonight. I understand where Wenger is coming from on this but it is a tremendous gamble to take with the fitness issues that his compatriot has encountered in the past. Will he regret that come next May? If he does, there will be plenty in the queue to ram it down his throat, “I told you so”.
Of course that is not the only option but with Ramsey likely to replace Diaby, Coquelin adds the defensive option to the midfield. I have presumed that the Welshman will be Diaby’s replacement with more natural width arriving in the form of Theo Walcott. I know the manager has is teaching the England international a lesson but there comes a point where you are cutting off your nose to spite your face by excluding him from the line-up. If Arsène wants some options for the wings, bringing Oxlade-Chamberlain into the fray instead of Ramsey is surely that choice? If Walcott does not start tonight, it is the clearest signal that he is not being played because of his refusal to sign a deal and that the new contract spoken of in the media, will remain unsigned.
His return would see Gervinho move to the left to accommodate Giroud centrally, Podolski dropping to the bench. The German worked hard on Saturday but with the Greeks likely to be quite rigid in their defensive duties, I would like some spontaneity on both flanks. That width would be important, allowing Cazorla the time and space to arrive in the area to support Giroud. Of course, we need those Spanish toes to be twinkling in the shooting boots rather than the moon boots he was using on Saturday when a sight of goal emerged.
Defensively, I am not expecting any changes. I know there will be a clamour of sorts for Mertesacker’s return but I think Koscielny will keep his place with the German’s height being utilised at West Ham on Saturday given the likely return to their side of Andy Carroll. That leaves the line-up I would expect tonight as:
Mannone; Jenkinson, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Gibbs; Coquelin, Cazorla, Ramsey; Walcott, Giroud, Gervinho
Enjoy the match wherever you are watching it.
’til Tomorrow.
sorry 56.67%
Anirudh, I agree with you. TV needs a good talking to. The worst part are these rash challenges around the box.
On a night when the billionaires need a flukey penalty at home to snatch a last luck last minute draw..
But of course we need to spend spend spend and get some of that “world class” talent..
@Paul
Haha, good point. I am sure that some people on here will think we’ve lost since our goals could’ve been scored by Chamakh and obviously goals that can be scored by him don’t count. So basically, we’ve lost 1-0. Expect more dooming from Ateeb.
I think today is one of those games (probably like most CL games) where the points over performance everytime.
Man City managed a 1 – 1 with Dortmund, but they were extremely lucky and that penalty was pretty soft. I would assume Man City are already preparing their 55 million bid for Reus.
Paul
Yep exactly what I was talking about, the irritating this at most times, its when the striker has got his back to goal..so so unneccesary
You got it, Moe.
Apart from the first two games we have not failed to score and usually more than one but we still cannot score, so it semms. Genius to blouse and skirt!
I note that PSG (another toy club) were beaten by Porto
its just disgusting that City got that penalty. bet som sheik paied someone off to not loose tonight. Can you see any other reason for giving City a soft penalty in the 90th minute?
Schalke 2 – 2 Montpellier
A good result for us
Great win by the boys, ugly though it was. Now off to play pool and pretend I am still a young man. My head is going to be pounding tomorrow morning
Tough to know who the best CB pairing is really, TV5 and Per looked good before Kos got back. I miss Per, not sure who should be paired with him (my fantasy team would suggest Kos
)
Carl Jenkinson ? Woy watching ?
It has been a poor night for Finnish football
Not to mention another pisser for Sagna
Le Coq seems f*******
lol @ Evil
If I not mistake, some goals that Chamakh could have scored were scored in the first CL match also. Blow wow, we have no point and are at the bottom of the group.
Wenger out! and Bould.
I am not mistaken…
have no points…
Is it me or is Ramsey becoming deceptively quick? He outrun that last different from the same starting position.
Broken Leg? What broken leg?
defender* not different
Moe, whilst I want to believe that Ramseytinho has immense speed, it may have been the fact the player he skinned was a little tired
anyone think its a coincedence that the cheaper a football ticket the better the atmosphere?? just saying to those like darius slagging the fans you might want to blame the club for the poor atmosphere. but they need to make money so lets just except it as it is.
Duke, if they did not make money then we could not say how cheap they are. Come on mi bredrin, kip up no maaaan!
Miami, I think Moe is correct, Ramsey is looking quick. I have noticed that and not just this match, even against City he looked pretty quick.
sorry paul i didnt understand your point there cuz. my point was when you charge people a high(very high price) for something they become more critical of whatever service it is you provide..its just how it is in any business so for us to charge the dearest tickets in the land we must expect the most critical fans. the board have made that rod for their own back but the ground needs repaying so im not being critical.
well atlest we do know we can win ugly now. Cos much uglier than this i think is impossible. it was about as ugly as most of the ugly wins United usually has. But atlest the moaners will be happy. they been moaning about winning ugly for years now…
Win ugly ? Eh ?
Win ugly was Manyoo clinging on for the last 20 mins last night and barely able to get over the half way line
Win ugly was us clinging on in Montpelier
No tonight was really quite flowing and deserved
Fuck me .
You lot could fall out in solitary.
Duke, I am just joking but it does seem like moaning is an art form to some and that is a reason.
If the ticket prices are too much, the last thing we should do is want the club to play players anything they want, no true.
also, no one is forcing people to spend their money to go to a game. If people complained about the ticket prices, I would have more empathy but they are not, they think they can run and manage a big club. Straight!
Fall out in solitary ?
Outrageous !
piss off george.
To be honest our atmosphere is always bad at home in CL games, unless it’s a big club coming to visit. We got outsung by Dortmund fans last year pretty badly and same thing will happen when Schalke come to visit. It’s too bad, because many of my German friends only see those games and think that we have awful support when the stadium is always rocking whenever there’s a derby or a match against a top side. And we have the best away support in the league, that’s a matter of fact.
Perhaps the ticket prices on ACLF should be looked at .Because the atmosphere here on match days is shit of late.
Ramsey on his way back to his best. He and Coquelin are fighting for Diaby’s spot right now. I think Coquelin will get a chance this weekend.
@PG
Well, Arseblog has got the highest ticket prices in the league and I don’t think their atmosphere is any good!
If you need to know hr price
Don’t ask
@dukey i think you are entitled to watch football even if you are not a bluecollar brawler tbh. Football should be for everyone, not just the workingclass heroes. Its not a workingclass hero game anymore. Its a game for the massess. Its money spinning big buissness. Its corporate boxes and its the sport answear to hollywood.
The “crowd of the 80s” that you saw so often before in England was not a likable bunch. Im sorry, but back then what you thought of when you saw english football was hooligans.
Now you see normal families, and normal people in matches. that is a good thing. So what if you have to pay some exta cash to go. Atlest you are not in danger of being punched in the eye….
There is nothing charming with the fatso Newcastle fans that always end up in the paper. Why oh why would you wanna sit next to something like that in a match?? Ther was nothing charming with the fans of sheffield united neither last time i saw them being escorted back to their train after an away game.
Im sure both groups make more nois than the “whitecollar, shrimp sandwich eating” arsenal fans though.
Still id take the arsenal fans any day.
But what do i know, im a middle class kid, grown up in a middle class home. To me footy is a middle class sport, was it a workingclas sport befor? maybe. but then the sheiks came and the russians and the teenage pay packages of 20 k a week.
Football have changed, so has the crowds. Atlest our crowds can help us finance the wages to our players.
If only Ateeb could chip in with is part now so we could buy back RvP :p
Good enough win
Must get better though for the next round
Fullbacks were great again
vermalin been the weak link past two games
Two free kicks conceded unnecessarily against chelski that cost us dearly
Today, with five to ten minutes to go, he felt he needed to push into opponents box which was in my opinion again unnecessary
UP THE. GUNS!!!!!!!!!
Looks like Group of Dortmund really is Group of Dortmund. Citeh 1pt from possible 6 – how the press would shreeeek if that were us.
CRon hat-trick vs Ajax – are RM the team to beat this year, given how crocked the Barça defence is?
Nice Vela-esque chip from Ramsey. He did go and get another bloody back-heel in, though, didn’t he? And his assistant, Giroud, is slowly cranking into gear – doesn’t look the neurotic type, so once he clicks, could be phenomenal.
Agreed if we had 1 point from 3 the press would be all over us saying we cant defend etc.
MCFC do seem to be struggling for a bit of form though
YW,
Good pre-match write up.
Evil,
Great display of optimism and perception (3-1).
Ateeb,
This is the first and last time that I will refer to or converse with you. However, given the outcome it would seem less churlish if you had the class to congratulate the team that you pretend to support or even acknowledged that just about every call that you made on this match was wrong!
Maybe this management (be it of the fantasy, armchair or actual team variety) is not as easy as some might wish.
AFC,
Well done and the development towards a team continues.
COYG
At about this stage last season in the CL Arsenal were grinding out gr*tty draws and victories against the sort of teams that the club from Middle Eastlands could only dream of playing Football against.
Vermaelan still winding up zonal marking and everyone else with the odd impetuous and arrogant lunge, bless him*, but I’ll pretend to be irate at his charges up field as well if it helps.
* it’s a glitch in the circuit. Occasionally both eyes turn red, the Verminator malfunctions and he just can’t help himself.
Finsbury .People soon forget Newcastle at home last year.
George
What happened with Newcastle at home last year? I’ve forgotten.
Today’s post. Eventually. As late as Aaron Ramsey’s winner.
http://www.aclfarsenal.co.uk/arsenal/arsenal-work-like-trojans-to-beat-the-greeks/