Thanks for all the messages of support x
Aye that was at the start of 15-16 season though when they had stayed up
What would be the odds in Feb 2015 when they were pretty much doomed...fuckin 50000-1
Fucking hell imagine the odds you'd have got in February 2015 of Leicester winning the PL in 2016 😂
It was 5000-1
Fucking hell imagine the odds you'd have got in February 2015 of Leicester winning the PL in 2016 😂
Let’s place that bet on wolves. They will pick up 20 points from their remaining fixtures. Basically only playing shit teams from here on in.
Fucking hell imagine the odds you'd have got in February 2015 of Leicester winning the PL in 2016 😂
I think wolves are staying up
Would be a Leicester 2015 story
I think wolves are staying up
They face spurs in the last game week at Moliniux.
😬. Those 3 points are no guarantee anymore.
Argh, it’s a tough place to go, Molineux.
Lovely .
HOLD DAT
Isn't that what twitter mongs shout
This is a tough league man. Tell me what team looks amazing on the attacking front.
Mental
Remember watching wolves in first few months and they were losing but never getting stuffed and the games were close
They were no where near like that Derby team
This is a tough league man. Tell me what team looks amazing on the attacking front.
I am sure he will say it’s all Arsenal’s fault.
Had a few pool fans take the piss when we dropped points to wolves so would be nice to return the favour
Not everyone can draw with Wolves!
Oops, jinxed that!
Wolves go ahead against cuntpool
Not everyone can draw with Wolves!
Wolves go ahead against cuntpool
Edwards certainly has them playing with belief
Wolves go ahead against cuntpool
What annoyed me more was all the pundits defended the decision
Well of course, anything to slag Arsenal off.
Cunts
We've got that twat Kavanagh for ref tomorrow, the same cunt that gave Rice that ridiculous red card last season
What annoyed me more was all the pundits defended the decision
We've got that twat Kavanagh for ref tomorrow, the same cunt that gave Rice that ridiculous red card last season
Wolves playing some nice football. Too late unfortunately
Mike, earlier I posted a message wishing you luck in finding a job soon. Have you considered technical author/writing? You are so articulate in your posts, but I don't know if companies still recruit for such roles as much as they used to. Technology, engineering and scientific firms.
For some reason I forgot City had a game in hand. Was feeling at ease about a five-point gap. Heart-rates’ gone up again!
Mertesacker and Koscielny were a complimentary partnership. What BFG lacked Koscielny had in spades and vice versa. Neither were world class on their own (certainly not in relation to our current gi...
They were ok, and well liked, but if that midfield/attack from Nasri, Fabregas, Van Persie Adebayor onwards had had Gabi and Wilo they would have won at least one league title.
I'm wondering whether to apply to local supermarkets so that I can actually have a routine and apply for other jobs. Maybe the 'other jobs' .
Sad isn't it. I desperately need routine
Look on their websites, they’re always hiring. I’ve done short stints of driving jobs but gonna give this a go as it’s walking distance. Yeah, i need to get out of the house and talk to people and get a bit of cash in the process. Hopefully it’s a stepping stone.
Stupid on-field firework display before the game in Bournemouth. Seems to be a regular thing these days. Pointless pollution that also makes it hard to see anything through the smoke. They need end this nonsense. Do something with lasers, or lights they you must.
Starting next Tuesday late shift. There’s a Wednesday late shift too along with the Saturday one, so will be missing all the CL ties till (hopefully) the final. It sucks tbh, but put it this way, if w...
I'm wondering whether to apply to local supermarkets so that I can actually have a routine and apply for other jobs. Maybe the 'other jobs' .
Sad isn't it. I desperately need routine
Greatest free transfer ever!
This x 1,000,000.
:-P
Or since Sol Campbell broke Tottenham's hearts?
Greatest free transfer ever!
Or since Sol Campbell broke Tottenham's hearts?
Mwhahah
Since Paul Davis broke Glen Cockerill's jaw?
Or since Sol Campbell broke Tottenham's hearts?
Note also, that, as far as I am aware, we haven't actually broken anyone's bones? (I may be wrong and have selective memory, but I don't remember any Ramsey/Diaby/Eduardo type of casualties in the opp...
Since Paul Davis broke Glen Cockerill's jaw?
Saliba and Gabriel are streets ahead of Gallas and Touré, it shouldn't even be a comparison. I liked both in different ways as footballers, but one is loved and the other we all know why he is despise...
Mertesacker and Koscielny were a complimentary partnership. What BFG lacked Koscielny had in spades and vice versa. Neither were world class on their own (certainly not in relation to our current giants) but together they worked reasonably well.
Russo double for Eng Women away to Ukraine Women
Everyone should read the Arsenal focused article on bbc regarding corners.
Brightons manager complaining we take upto a min to take corners.
The reality? On average Arsenal takes 7 secs more than brig...
The whole perception vs reality thing really is quite funny. I remember a match last season where pundits and such lost their shit about how long it took us for that stuff... but then when the stats were run the particular match they were complaining about turned out to be one of the highest time-the-ball-was-in-play games. I wish I could remember which match day that was.
I've strongly discounted the 'bottling' tag for Arsenal, but this season it's been clear that nerves are kicking in and affecting our performances. It's imperative that we win a big trophy this season...
On a selfish level, I really can do without the snide comments that another second place will bring.
Invariably from fans of clubs that finish well below 2nd ...
Saliba and Gabriel are streets ahead of Gallas and Touré, it shouldn't even be a comparison. I liked both in different ways as footballers, but one is loved and the other we all know why he is despise...
I wouldn't say streets ahead but there's no question that they're better players. I never intimated otherwise! 'Best since' doesn't necessarily mean 'of comparable quality'.
Had defenders who weren’t quite at the level for much of those two decades.
Saliba and Gabriel is the best CB partnership we’ve had since Gallas and Touré. I know people love Koscielny and Mertesacke...
Saliba and Gabriel are streets ahead of Gallas and Touré, it shouldn't even be a comparison. I liked both in different ways as footballers, but one is loved and the other we all know why he is despised the cry baby!
Saliba and Gabriel need to win a league title, but right now, for me, they're up there with Sol Campbell, Tony Adams and Martin Keown with a special mention of Davi O'Leary. But they need the title to make that argument stick, but for me they're already up there.
And I liked Mertesacker, but Koscielny, though liked by many, was never dominant in the air, could be and was bullied by bigger strikers.
Nah, fire and ice, Wilo and Gabi, legends in the making!
Everyone should read the Arsenal focused article on bbc regarding corners.
Brightons manager complaining we take upto a min to take corners.
The reality? On average Arsenal takes 7 secs more than brighton.
Hope we stuff them.
This is the way
Lord varys looking bald cocksucker
Indeed.
Well, I hope we score a hat trick of goals from corners against Brighton and one of them involves Gabriel literally sitting on their goalkeeper’s shoulders to head the ball in.
2026 YTD maybe but not 2025/26 season.
yes, that was my point, especially as you said 'right now'.
Maybe it’s up for debate actually… but I don’t think any were world class.
Nah they weren't elite. Mertesacker rarely let us down though, if he had any pace at all maybe he'd have been top class
Exactly. I do hope Arteta can use all this phoney moral panic about our corners to galvanise the team.
Slot is also moaning about setpieces when the fat fuck scored from three on the weekend, and nee...
This is the way
Lord varys looking bald cocksucker
I thought it was Liverpool who had scored the most from set-pieces so far in 2026?
2026 YTD maybe but not 2025/26 season.
Had defenders who weren’t quite at the level for much of those two decades.
Saliba and Gabriel is the best CB partnership we’ve had since Gallas and Touré. I know people love Koscielny and Mertesacke...
Maybe it’s up for debate actually… but I don’t think any were world class.
When our younger team did try to be adventurous and entertaining, opponents would hack down the likes of Saka with complete impunity... and they wonder why we've had to try something different?
Exactly. I do hope Arteta can use all this phoney moral panic about our corners to galvanise the team.
Slot is also moaning about setpieces when the fat fuck scored from three on the weekend, and needed one at their place to beat us earlier in the season.
Fucking hypocritical fucking fat fuck.
I think you might find that many of us actually agree with this BUT the beautiful football philosophy, as wonderful as it was, has left us 2 decades without a title. We desperately need to reset th...
Had defenders who weren’t quite at the level for much of those two decades.
Saliba and Gabriel is the best CB partnership we’ve had since Gallas and Touré. I know people love Koscielny and Mertesacker but they were both quite flawed.
British managers have always been big proponents of physical football, especially when Arsenal were perceived as soft foreign phonies. Fergie and his cabal of British ghouls loved kicking the fuck out...
When our younger team did try to be adventurous and entertaining, opponents would hack down the likes of Saka with complete impunity... and they wonder why we've had to try something different?
Anyway, I best return to the fruitless task of job hunting as a 60+ year old.
Best of luck to you, Mike 🙏
But that's the thing. I hated Pulisball, the abrasive physicality, the dark arts, and that thing where Stoke finished 10th or something, but subtract set piece goals across the league and they'd have ...
I think you might find that many of us actually agree with this BUT the beautiful football philosophy, as wonderful as it was, has left us 2 decades without a title. We desperately need to reset that clock.
As others have said, just get it over the line, by any means necessary, then after that we can fret over how not-lovely our football is.
Anyway, I best return to the fruitless task of job hunting as a 60+ year old.
Good luck, Mike. I sincerely hope you find something commensurate with your skills, knowledge and experience. Judging by your contributions to the Arses, you strike me as a formidably articulate and intelligent man. Surely there must be a place for a man with such talents?
heh, now there's a stat that would throw a wrench into their rhetoric. I also saw a stat suggesting we're not actually the best set piece team right now, United are. Yes we score the most set piece ...
I thought it was Liverpool who had scored the most from set-pieces so far in 2026?
To be fair to Fergie, he was a nasty bastard at time and his teams were always on top of the dark arts and far worse. But he did have a bold, aggressive approach to winning games, he expected his team...
I remember some really turgid 0-0s and 1-0s against us when he was outspending Wenger 10 to 1 in the market. His goalfests were reserved for when he knew he had a clear talent advantage. I do want Arteta to emulate how to put away relegation fodder - the two Wolves games this season were diabolical.
Funnily enough I agree, what I push back on is the deafening silence when Liverpool were the set pieces kings, and how Liverpool have scored over 40% of their goals in Europe with set pieces.
As Blo...
heh, now there's a stat that would throw a wrench into their rhetoric. I also saw a stat suggesting we're not actually the best set piece team right now, United are. Yes we score the most set piece goals but apparently they have the highest ratio of set piece goals per attempt. (asterisk, I can't be arsed substantiate that)
"wait, Liverpool and Man United are good at them?!? oh... never mind then"
Blogs has hit the nail on the head dead centre today.
And the arses have followed up mostly in alignment too.
Is this our ‘no one likes us, we don’t care’ moment? I know it’s felt that way for some...
" many of our own fans are pained by this tactic too. "
I don't care when we're ahead but I'll admit to getting aggravated when we need a goal, the clock is running and we're taking an age to get the ball back in play.
By the way, Huerzler's Brighton had *the highest* number of set piece goals in the league in 24-25 - 22 out of 66 goals. I realise he's making a slightly different point about the amount of time spent on set pieces, but I'm willing to bet his team is right up there on that metric as well. As always, pot-kettle.
Pep gets a lot of stick on here, but in the presser for the Forest game he was asked about Arsenal's set-pieces and said even as a boy he remembers everyone going on about how English teams' fans woul...
Saw that. Pep just dismissed all the nonsense and said teams have to adapt.
I can manage a 30 second purge. ;P
Anyway, it's in the US next so boycotting them :-p
Hehe, yeah I don't blame you! Fucking insanity.
Still far from playing football I reckon, though at this stage, if the knee keeps on improving, I think maybe that should be the focus. I mean, 'run a half-marathon' may not be such a priority, it's easier than play football, but it's not a prerequisite, as it will still take some time to gradually increase the distances, today's more about those 30s purges and see how it all reacts.
Anyway, it's in the US next so boycotting them :-p
Wrist is doing fine, thanks Ollie. But now I have now got Plantar fasciitis which is extremely painful. Nowhere near what you have been through, but in a similar location — around the heel and arch. N...
Ouch.
Heh, unlikely. Reached the 'run 10k' milestone today (managing quite a few 'pushing for 30s' sequences within), but overall was much slower (no idea why) than on Saturday (9k), and in more pain, so couldn't really push a sprint at the end. Haven't attempted stairs yet (to assess knee evolution), but the Achilles is rather painful right now.
I'm hiring Jover to become my First Arse coach.
go ahead, we're going to change the rules to render him irrelevant anyway 😏
There's a clip of Vieira on the Overlap explaining that tunnel incident with Roy Keane. He explained that he didn't like Gary Neville and the intimidation of him was pre-meditated because of all the t...
A lot of what Neville says is unintentionally self-revealing. The gormless fuck just doesn't realise.
Pep gets a lot of stick on here, but in the presser for the Forest game he was asked about Arsenal's set-pieces and said even as a boy he remembers everyone going on about how English teams' fans would celebrate when they got a corner. The narrative is just ridiculous from pundits who seems to have started watching football yesterday.
Arse!
well in, amir!
"be the best at every aspect of the game."
There's a lot of work to do in that regard. We're actually kind of bad at the key thing I want us to be good at, but as you said, what matters is results.
Many of us took great pride in how pretty our football used to be but instead of looking at a Michelangelo, now we're looking at a highly effective cement wall. There must be some sort of middle ground somewhere?
Do you think even against traffic cones, we could do what they did to us in the first 20 minutes? Ultimately, they couldn't get near our box, but that kind of one-touch, tiki-taka like play is somethi...
These are largely the same players who played some pretty scintillating stuff just a few seasons ago- so yes I do think they are capable of it.
At the end of the day if the PGMOL clamps down on clutching and grabbing (not just in the box) to improve flow and attacking football- Arteta will no doubt adjust accordingly.
Speaking of which, are you fully operational now, DB10?
Wrist is doing fine, thanks Ollie. But now I have now got Plantar fasciitis which is extremely painful. Nowhere near what you have been through, but in a similar location — around the heel and arch. Never had it before, at least that I can recall. Sounds like you're recovery is going well. Likely ready for the next Olympics at this rate?
There's a clip of Vieira on the Overlap explaining that tunnel incident with Roy Keane. He explained that he didn't like Gary Neville and the intimidation of him was pre-meditated because of all the t...
oh yes, that 50th match was all organised by Old Purple Nose.
Riley might have been on it too :-p
British managers have always been big proponents of physical football, especially when Arsenal were perceived as soft foreign phonies. Fergie and his cabal of British ghouls loved kicking the fuck out...
There's a clip of Vieira on the Overlap explaining that tunnel incident with Roy Keane. He explained that he didn't like Gary Neville and the intimidation of him was pre-meditated because of all the things he did to our players. When he said that, Gary immediately jumped on the idea that Wenger had sent him out to do that. Both Vieira and Ian Wright reacted immediately that he wasn't like that. But it just occurred to me that Gary was inadvertently telling on his own manager, because without a doubt Fergie got the team to target Reyes and others who could play them off the park.
Speaking of which, are you fully operational now, DB10?
Arsenal have caused lots of damage: Severely dislocated pride. Massive ego ruptures, Broken dreams and spirit contusions.
Ha! :-D
Note also, that, as far as I am aware, we haven't actually broken anyone's bones? (I may be wrong and have selective memory, but I don't remember any Ramsey/Diaby/Eduardo type of casualties in the opp...
Arsenal have caused lots of damage: Severely dislocated pride. Massive ego ruptures, Broken dreams and spirit contusions.
Didn't Vivas break someone's cheekbone with an elbow?
But, yeah, I don't remember any reckless, brutal baseball bat-type swings.
Dear Nelson. Possibly. Rings a vague bell.
Note also, that, as far as I am aware, we haven't actually broken anyone's bones? (I may be wrong and have selective memory, but I don't remember any Ramsey/Diaby/Eduardo type of casualties in the opp...
Didn't Vivas break someone's cheekbone with an elbow?
But, yeah, I don't remember any reckless, brutal baseball bat-type swings.
Do you think even against traffic cones, we could do what they did to us in the first 20 minutes? Ultimately, they couldn't get near our box, but that kind of one-touch, tiki-taka like play is somethi...
'If we could trust or one-touch play'. I think you've hit it there. We've occasionally have glimpses of that, but the less fun way seems to be completely ingrained in our mentality now.
Note also, that, as far as I am aware, we haven't actually broken anyone's bones? (I may be wrong and have selective memory, but I don't remember any Ramsey/Diaby/Eduardo type of casualties in the opposition).
The Prem is maybe not at it's aesthetic peak right now but it's hardly down to how we've lead the charge. This league has by and large the best players and coaches. The speed, athleticism, aggression,...
Do you think even against traffic cones, we could do what they did to us in the first 20 minutes? Ultimately, they couldn't get near our box, but that kind of one-touch, tiki-taka like play is something I don't think our players can do. We do take ons, byline pull-backs or surges into the box. When they work, they're exciting. If we could trust our one-touch play, we'd be much more devastating.
British managers have always been big proponents of physical football, especially when Arsenal were perceived as soft foreign phonies. Fergie and his cabal of British ghouls loved kicking the fuck out...
yeah, pot/kettle/black etc. It's so fucking blatant.
British managers have always been big proponents of physical football, especially when Arsenal were perceived as soft foreign phonies. Fergie and his cabal of British ghouls loved kicking the fuck out of Arsenal, and when the manager dared to say something we got, 'they just don't like it up em.' As if anyone likes having their bones broken and joints dislocated, the disingenuous cunts.
Now the boot is on the other foot; the gall of Moyes to complain, the whinging Moe the Barman looking cunt.
The Prem is maybe not at it's aesthetic peak right now but it's hardly down to how we've lead the charge. This league has by and large the best players and coaches. The speed, athleticism, aggression, and modern tactical schemes make it hard to play fluid attacking football.
Which teams in the league can you say are playing beautiful football week in and week out? We've seen Arsenal capable of more free flowing stuff when we've played teams in Europe and in lower divisions where their primary goal is to stop us from playing.
In our game against Bayern they looked mesmerizing in the opening 20 mins because they obviously are used to running circles around traffic cone defenses in the Bundesliga. Ultimately we out thought and out muscled them.
For all our strength at set-pieces in attack (and I love it tbh), we look panicky when defending a set-piece or corner. Raya looks the most panicky and it seems to transmit to the others. Rice's holdi...
I think you are confusing Chelsea being good at corners with Raya being shaky
Starting next Tuesday late shift. There’s a Wednesday late shift too along with the Saturday one, so will be missing all the CL ties till (hopefully) the final. It sucks tbh, but put it this way, if w...
Good luck, NB!
You'll save yourself the 'during match' stress: silver linings and all that...
Arsenal fans griping about aesthetics is normal. Non-Arsenal content merchants pretending to suddenly care about "the quality" can go jump.
Mourinho, Ferguson, Allardyce, Pulis and co. are all birds...
To be fair to Fergie, he was a nasty bastard at time and his teams were always on top of the dark arts and far worse. But he did have a bold, aggressive approach to winning games, he expected his team to pressure defences and United fans always expected that which is why pragmatic Moyes was a poor choice and United fell further from there.
On that topic, are you stacking shelves these days NB or?
Starting next Tuesday late shift. There’s a Wednesday late shift too along with the Saturday one, so will be missing all the CL ties till (hopefully) the final. It sucks tbh, but put it this way, if we don’t get to the final it’ll be one match I’ll have been glad to miss.
What can be done? I need the money and being skint and watching all the games won’t be fun either. I’m hoping we win at least one of the big ones, that will more than make up for it. If me missing games is what it takes to drive the demons away, so be it!
Arsenal fans griping about aesthetics is normal. Non-Arsenal content merchants pretending to suddenly care about "the quality" can go jump.
Mourinho, Ferguson, Allardyce, Pulis and co. are all birds of a feather as far as I'm concerned. Win at all costs, appearances be damned. If the PL changes the rules, all the better. We know proper attacking football. Others don't.
The argument is not being presented this way. We would all like free-flowing football. Our attack has been stuttering all season and we are still waiting for it to 'click'. There is ample evidence to ...
100%
Fabian Hürzeler is a knob.
We'll see what happens when his pack of cunts (Welbz excluding) take ages at their own set-pieces...
Well in Amir.
Well spoken Bloggs.
In the words of Taylor Swift, "the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate." They just cant help it (& that's why we hate the lot ;-)
Fabian Hürzeler is a knob.
yep
The Brighton manager is now piling on Arsenal as well. Not a single word about the team with 115 charges, but score a few goals from corners (which every other team does) and it’s the death of footbal...
Fabian Hürzeler is a knob.
The ballot dates are taking the piss.
I think Sunderland was held not even three weeks before the match.
Now next weekend we have Newcastle (likely to move), and they are already announcing the Fulham ballot for the weekend of 13/3. Which will be way before we know when the match actually happens.
So you can't plan anything anyway. It's just to get the money in, as they do make a fair amount of money out of people putting it back on exchange, and as you can't try on Tx if you are not applying for the ballot.
I'm enjoying going to the football, having a few drinks (or even sober) with mates, but I'm getting truly sick of the so-called Football Club....
Indeed. Good luck and well done NB. Sorry your shifts mean a clash with many of our games, but fingers crossed it means you can enjoy the spills on MOTD without the stress.
Oh and I saw Moyes singli...
The Brighton manager is now piling on Arsenal as well. Not a single word about the team with 115 charges, but score a few goals from corners (which every other team does) and it’s the death of football.
I am sure Arteta uses all this to fuel the team. The best answer to everyone is to win the damn thing.
Anyway, I best return to the fruitless task of job hunting as a 60+ year old.
Indeed. Good luck and well done NB. Sorry your shifts mean a clash with many of our games, but fingers crossed it means you can enjoy the spills on MOTD without the stress.
Oh and I saw Moyes singling out Arsenal for the ‘physical’ element in scoring from corners. Another boss who has been a huge patron of this type of football over the years, hypocritically commenting on our approach. I’m sure this is totally unconnected to the fact we play them in 11 days time (and he’s not trying to influence referees or PGMOL in any way). 🤔
On that topic, are you stacking shelves these days NB or?
Anyway, I best return to the fruitless task of job hunting as a 60+ year old.
Good luck mate!
Anyway, I best return to the fruitless task of job hunting as a 60+ year old.
I've strongly discounted the 'bottling' tag for Arsenal, but this season it's been clear that nerves are kicking in and affecting our performances. It's imperative that we win a big trophy this season as I honestly think it will unlock something in this team.
On a selfish level, I really can do without the snide comments that another second place will bring.
I would take boring, pragmatic football that wins trophies over pretty football that wins nothing. I think most fans would. However, it is possible to have solid, well-organised, powerful teams who ca...
The argument is not being presented this way. We would all like free-flowing football. Our attack has been stuttering all season and we are still waiting for it to 'click'. There is ample evidence to show that Trossard and Martinelli are inconsistent and that Saka is not performing to his usual standard. Additionally, Gyokeres is not the player many expected (I'm not blowing my own trumpet, but I didn't understand the high expectations - the stats were clear) and Eze has been a disappointment SO FAR.
We clearly lack something up front, but this is not happening in a vacuum - look how teams set up against us in the Premier League.
I am railing against the superficial and dishonest narratives by pundits like Gary Neville.
I'm very interested to see what happens next season on the left wing and to Odegaard, but my focus is on this season and its challenges. The focus on our set pieces is not the full picture, as is the noise around Tottenham being totally shit without looking at their horrendous injury list.
Pundits look for 'easy targets' and offer simplistic and partisan analysis.
I would take boring, pragmatic football that wins trophies over pretty football that wins nothing. I think most fans would. However, it is possible to have solid, well-organised, powerful teams who ca...
It's funny though, because similar people who would defend our pretty, pretty "loser" football and attack anyone who said pretty losing football was not worth anything are now the type attacking anyone saying our football is ugly now. I think both sides just want to win the league. The glass half full want to find the silver lining in every game, while the glass half empty are looking for all the reasons we might fuck it up. The criticism of our attacking play from many (certainly from me) is not that the football is ugly per se, it's that the struggle to fashion clear, goalscoring chances can only be compensated with set-pieces (however well drilled and executed) for so long. Eventually, we may well run out of road. We have to find better attacking moves and we had better do it quickly.
So you would go back to late Wenger years and play lovely football and not challenge for major trophies? That would be a valid view but not one I can subscribe to. Of course, that would be my favoured...
I would take boring, pragmatic football that wins trophies over pretty football that wins nothing. I think most fans would. However, it is possible to have solid, well-organised, powerful teams who can also play pretty football, as we know more than anyone with early-era Wenger teams. I keep saying it, we just need to get over the line this season, take that title and that immense weight will be off our collective shoulders. But pretending that we're not playing stuttering attacking football right now (not saying anyone here is saying that) isn't helpful as it winds up fellow fans and opponents alike. Maybe that doesn't matter, but maybe a bit of honesty, shamelessly saying, yeah, we're winning ugly and we're all fine with that, goes further than suggesting anyone who states we are playing boring attacking football somehow doesn't want us to win.
Bad Gateway Arse.
Well in Blogs, I do like it when you go in deep on something all analytical like.
But that's the thing. I hated Pulisball, the abrasive physicality, the dark arts, and that thing where Stoke finished 10th or something, but subtract set piece goals across the league and they'd have ...
So you would go back to late Wenger years and play lovely football and not challenge for major trophies? That would be a valid view but not one I can subscribe to. Of course, that would be my favoured approach, but not one I would rely in to the detriment of success. We need to have an element of pragmatism, especially when defences are so well drilled and opponents in the Premier League inevitably set up with a low block. Look at out performance in the Champions League, our set pieces yielding 5 goals, second to only Liverpool (8), as a percentage approximately 22% (21.7% to be precise). That is important, it shows we scored a lot of goals from open play. That clearly reflects a more open pattern of play from BOTH sides. That can mean that degences ate not as good, or that teams which are used to bossing their domestic League are unwilling to set up defensively. Of course, this isn't a binary option. It could also reflect that teams underestimate Arsenal, but I really don't think that is the case with widespread use of analytics.
So, my conclusion is that set piece reliance is not solely caused by Arsenal's type of play, but instead is a reflection of tje wider system of opposing team tactics.
But that's the thing. I hated Pulisball, the abrasive physicality, the dark arts, and that thing where Stoke finished 10th or something, but subtract set piece goals across the league and they'd have ...
That’s the chatter from yesterday- Sky were making a big deal about 15 of our 19 league wins were dependent on us scoring from a set piece, so yeah, there’s an argument we could be in a relegation battle without them.
‘If my aunt had balls…’ and all that, but if teams didn’t work so hard on the low block, we wouldn’t need to be so good at the corners. Citeh came and parked the bus more than ever in Pep’s entire managerial career, when we played them earlier this season, Pool the same up at anfield when it took a what, oh, a worldie set piece to beat us.
As for Blanchflower, there’s a reason Spuds haven’t won the league since then, the game can be played beautifully and win things but it takes something special to do both.
Brazil’s 70s (before my time), Barca’s halcyon days; the Invincibles (and actually the earlier titles) but even we had some god-damn ugly results that season; and Klopp’s gegenpressing winners are the only ones that really stick in my head that played fearlessly with success.
I’m sure there’s some others too, and it’s something Mik would love to achieve, but this season is about anxiety, and desperation to get success at whatever cost. I think he’s earned that right this season, but it could be the difference of whether he stays or goes at the end of season if we do fall flat.
Funnily enough I agree, what I push back on is the deafening silence when Liverpool were the set pieces kings, and how Liverpool have scored over 40% of their goals in Europe with set pieces.
As Blo...
But that's the thing. I hated Pulisball, the abrasive physicality, the dark arts, and that thing where Stoke finished 10th or something, but subtract set piece goals across the league and they'd have been relegated. So yeah, the game's moved on, and "everyone's at it", but I can't get behind that "style" of play. It was shite then and it's shite now.
I'm with Slot, tbh. (And yeah, I know Liverpool have scored more than a few from set pieces.) A lot of Prem matches are, for want of a better phrase, hard to watch. The shoving and grappling at corner...
Funnily enough I agree, what I push back on is the deafening silence when Liverpool were the set pieces kings, and how Liverpool have scored over 40% of their goals in Europe with set pieces.
As Blogs stated, Stoke used these tactics, especially with corners, so did Allardyce when managing Burnley and Blackburn, the result was snickering and taunting Arsenal for "not liking it up them", a line oft repeated by Neville and co. Now there is moral outrage directed at us and cheapened our title credentials.
Would I like more open play goals? Of course, but that's very difficult with virtually every team playing a low block against us.
I'm with Slot, tbh. (And yeah, I know Liverpool have scored more than a few from set pieces.) A lot of Prem matches are, for want of a better phrase, hard to watch. The shoving and grappling at corners is fucking ridiculous. That's not football. That's not the game I love. We've got some of the world's top players in the Prem yet so many matches are decided on chaos in the six-yard box. Like, WTF.
I fully accept the words of Danny Blanchflower won't ever hold much weight here, but I'm subscribed to his scripture:
The great fallacy is that the game is first and last about winning. It is nothing of the kind. The game is about glory, it is about doing things in style and with a flourish, about going out and beating the other lot, not waiting for them to die of boredom"
That's where I'm at. Hashtag unpopular opinion.
Blogs has hit the nail on the head dead centre today.
And the arses have followed up mostly in alignment too.
Is this our ‘no one likes us, we don’t care’ moment? I know it’s felt that way for some...
Yeah, haven't we only got three penalties this season?
So Will McKenzie is calling for a review on corners, because it "gives an unfair advantage to certain teams".
Well, I think the issue of Chelsea having so many very quick and young players gives them an advantage. Also their huge squads in the past 15+ years have given a significant advantage. Additionally, Caidedo trying to maim opposition players can give an advantage. The first if these issues needs an urgent review. The second needs to be addressed needs to be addressed by a proper application of Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR), so that Chelsea don't sell their own assets to another part of tje same holding company to circumvent rules.
As for the third, an referees just send Vaicedo off every time he makes a red card challenge. I'm willing to pay for a big stack of red cards with Caicedo"s name for this (inevitable) eventuality with tje bonus of having Emzo's named printed for free on the other side - just to remind the officials.
Until such time as this is done, can someone please give Will more homework.
Blogs has hit the nail on the head dead centre today.
And the arses have followed up mostly in alignment too.
Is this our ‘no one likes us, we don’t care’ moment? I know it’s felt that way for some...
We all love the beautiful game, beautifully played. But it's hard to play well with a 22-year-old weight/wait on our backs!
Just get this one over the line, we'll have all summer to ponder what to do next.
unfortunately we're always the canary in the coal mine when it comes to pundits hot takes....
We 'invented' holding at corners apparently, when anyone with a modicum of intelligence would realise, tha...
Blogs has hit the nail on the head dead centre today.
And the arses have followed up mostly in alignment too.
Is this our ‘no one likes us, we don’t care’ moment? I know it’s felt that way for some time, especially under Mik and for many of the Wenger years. It was definitely true under GG in 89 too, where, despite some hopekilling blips, we stumbled over the line.
For all the talk about set-piece FC, however, it’s really only corners where we are supreme. We rarely score from set pieces, we barely get any penalties, and I don’t remember us ever scoring from a tactical throw in.
We’ve tried the long throw a few times in the past 12 months, and I think Mik and Jover realise that we’re just not ready to do the damage from them (hence the new throw in appointment) so for now, we’ve given up on them. I can see the perception of opposition fans bemoaning us on these, mainly because of how much time we seem to waste over getting the ball back into play (with our players getting back into their regimented positions). From the in-game arses, many of our own fans are pained by this tactic too.
All I'll say is that if you have Gyökeres on goal, with time to set himself, more often than not it will be a goal. The season for me rests on his team-mates doing everything to set him up. I find it ...
Agreed.
The message remains the same as always...
Feed the Gyok!
And then the local council painted yellow lines everywhere
Fuck me, this place has had lick of paint.
I remember when it was all fields.
The fields are over yonder and a bit waterlogged.
Fuck me, this place has had lick of paint.
I remember when it was all fields.
They paved paradise ...
Well in Amir
Well juxtaposed Blogs
It would be nice if you are right NB but from my viewpoint much of our sometimes ragged play (all round) is actually down to the severe limitations of the No 14. I want him to do well and score but against the Chavs for example, who weren't allowing us the luxury of the "perfect set up", he didn't anticipate first time balls from Eze, wasted numerous one-on-one out balls and didn't create much space for himself throughout. But he really does work like an absolute beast so I would suggest it's up to others to exploit that part of his game first and hope the ball coincidentally finds him where he ideally likes to hit it.
Fuck me, this place has had lick of paint.
I remember when it was all fields.
Ha! :-)
"We don't have one forward player where goals feel inevitable in this team right now"
For me, that player is Merino. Sadly he's out injured for the season 😭
All I'll say is that if you have Gyökeres on goal, with time to set himself, more often than not it will be a goal. The season for me rests on his team-mates doing everything to set him up. I find it infuriating watching someone like Trossard, with the ball on the edge of the box and Gyökeres ahead to his left in the box, ignore the obvious pass to dither for another few seconds until he's tackled. Same for Zubimendi and Rice. Keep feeding him. All he has to do is get it out of his feet and he will belt that ball like no one else and it will more often than not be on target.
Fuck me, this place has had lick of paint.
I remember when it was all fields.
Great post. I suppose the concern when talking about where the goals come from in a team is you look at whether it is sustainable or not. Is it sustainable that our defenders keep pitching in with as ...
"We don't have one forward player where goals feel inevitable in this team right now"
For me, that player is Merino. Sadly he's out injured for the season 😭
Arse. Well in amir.
Morning all.
arse!
well in amir!!
morning all!!!
unfortunately we're always the canary in the coal mine when it comes to pundits hot takes....
We 'invented' holding at corners apparently, when anyone with a modicum of intelligence would realise, that holding has increased, and being allowed to happen by the PMGOL to try and prevent us scoring...
Discipline.... a couple of ridiculous red cards last year, and it's shock horror, The Chavs now have 7, not a titter.....
Arsenal are boring and can't score, check the numbers... oh, most goals in the Prem....
The latest of course is 'this is the worst Prem league ever'
Despite the fact that all 9 teams have made it thru in Europe, and 2 of the worst prem sides contested the Europa final last year.
Ask yourselves this, if you needed to win a game this Saturday, who would rather play ?
Inter Milan ? Real Madrid ? or Brentford ?
The standard of the EPL has gone thru the roof, this is why there are fewer knock about matches, with clowns like Danny Mills making a living.....
f@ck the lot of them.... COYG
Great post. I suppose the concern when talking about where the goals come from in a team is you look at whether it is sustainable or not. Is it sustainable that our defenders keep pitching in with as many goals as they have? When we had the likes of Henry, Pires, Freddie etc, there was a degree of inevitability that they would score goals. We don't have one forward player where goals feel inevitable in this team right now.
Good post blogs.
As I said yesterday, if we win the league I think next season we will be a much improved side from an attacking perspective. From now until end of season I don’t care how we win.
" Raya looks the most panicky and it seems to transmit to the others. "
Great example of individual perception here, because I don't see that at all, and when you compare him to keepers who really tr...
To be fair to Raya, he's got the best reactions of any keeper I can remember. That save from Rice's stray elbow was one of several he's done. His movements are exceptional which I think is where he makes up for his lack of height and reach. I just wish he was a bit more imposing and to be fair, I think the big guys like Gabriel, Saliba, Rice, Gyökeres and now Hincapié should be doing more when defending to protect him.
Yeah, I'm kind of hoping that after winning it the hard way (fingers crossed), the shackles will be off and we'll win it a beautiful way next season.
But that's looking too far ahead. Let's win tomorr...
This 100%
" Raya looks the most panicky and it seems to transmit to the others. "
Great example of individual perception here, because I don't see that at all, and when you compare him to keepers who really tr...
Fair enough! He's way better than them as a shot stopper and distributor, but I do think he struggles because he's not a big keeper and bigger opponents have started to crowd him like we do to opposition GKs. Any stats on how many we've conceded at set-pieces? I think it's more than it should be given how big an outfield team we are.
For all our strength at set-pieces in attack (and I love it tbh), we look panicky when defending a set-piece or corner. Raya looks the most panicky and it seems to transmit to the others. Rice's holdi...
Yeah, I'm kind of hoping that after winning it the hard way (fingers crossed), the shackles will be off and we'll win it a beautiful way next season.
But that's looking too far ahead. Let's win tomorrow by hook or by crook first.
" Raya looks the most panicky and it seems to transmit to the others. "
Great example of individual perception here, because I don't see that at all, and when you compare him to keepers who really transmitted that panic (Almunia, Fabianski, Ospina and to some extent Cech), he's rock solid
For all our strength at set-pieces in attack (and I love it tbh), we look panicky when defending a set-piece or corner. Raya looks the most panicky and it seems to transmit to the others. Rice's holding was desperate and we were lucky the ref didn't call a pen on that stray elbow that forced a great save from Raya. They scored from the next corner anyway.
Perception of others' perceptions of us can also be skewed. I seem to remember all fans in unison (grudgingly maybe) admit that we had a brilliant team that had the strength with the likes of Adams, Keown and later Campbell and Lauren, the grace and flair of Bergkamp, Henry, Overmars, Ljungberg and Pires and a combination of both in Vieira, Petit and then Gilberto. We won things with silk and steel.
This team has steel, I don't think even the most diehard fan would suggest it has much silk (Ødegaard on his day, when he's not hurting physically or emotionally).
I just want us to scrape over the line, a flashy win would be very welcome. But let's bring in some flair this summer, we're long overdue.
Are you Brucie, are you Brucie, are you Brucie in disguise?
Heh, then I would have had a lot more first arses to my name!
Hasn't scored in a while, though. Typical Arsenal striker.
He did score in the match against Chelski, just up the wrong end...
Owen Goal deserves a mention in the goal scoring table
Hasn't scored in a while, though. Typical Arsenal striker.
Are you Brucie, are you Brucie, are you Brucie in disguise?
Amir detail dear boy
Owen Goal deserves a mention in the goal scoring table
Heh, today I was the F5'ing cuntbucket 😂
Are you Brucie, are you Brucie, are you Brucie in disguise?
In the meantime Slot has said in an interview “ it’s taking all the pleasure out of first arses”, but he may have been talking about something else
haha
Yeah, and next time I'll be pulling your ear!
Kinky.
Arse. Well in Amir.
VAR says it might have been Hazza.
Heh, today I was the F5'ing cuntbucket 😂
VAR are looking at it. A decision is expected in the near future
I'm hiring Jover to become my First Arse coach.
Well in, Amir.
I would have got First Arse but Hazza was grabbing my shirt.
Yeah, and next time I'll be pulling your ear!
I, to be honest, find it weird that I feel goals to be hard to come by for us, but still we have scored the most goals in the league, albeit while 115 have a game in hand 🤔
They also have Haaland.
I, to be honest, find it weird that I feel goals to be hard to come by for us, but still we have scored the most goals in the league, albeit while 115 have a game in hand 🤔
Arse. Well in Amir.
VAR says it might have been Hazza.
In the meantime Slot has said in an interview “ it’s taking all the pleasure out of first arses”, but he may have been talking about something else
Arse. Well in Amir.
VAR says it might have been Hazza.
Well in, Amir.
I would have got First Arse but Hazza was grabbing my shirt.
VAR are looking at it. A decision is expected in the near future
Well in, Amir.
I would have got First Arse but Hazza was grabbing my shirt.