Any new converts to the “I hate Monday Night Football” gang? Wrote on the preview yesterday, that there is an extra touch of nervousness MNF brings and it was worse for us yesterday judging that we had to start the game without our first choice center back pairing. With these games, it just takes a while for everyone to get going and we too could have taken advantage of Liverpool’s seeming uneasiness if Ramsey’s shirt was not offside.
Caught the first 15 minutes of the game at work and tried to follow the game via a stream. Is it just me being unlucky with streams, because I was using some really superfast office internet but the stream was still really poor? And please does anyone have an idea why there has to be a lot of pop-ups on these stream website and loads of naked women flashing all over your face. I remember having to make a long explanation to the Mrs when she saw all that while I was trying to watch a pre-season game.
Forgive me, I digress, I was going to focus on the “Chambriel” partnership that gave Cech his first clean sheet. The irony is that Cech also got his first man of the match performance. Are goal keepers ever meant to be “men of matches”? When this happens, it usually means they practically rescued whatever points you earned from the game and Cech sure did yesterday. Whilst whatever criticism the “Chambriel” partnership received for their performance in the first half, it would be nice to put it into some context especially with Chambers.
The last time Chambers started a game for Arsenal was March 21st against Newcastle, Gabriel started against West Brom on May 24th and before then he had not even played for Arsenal since April 18th when he made a substitute appearance. We all know training or preseason is never the same thing as a wet Monday night at the Emirates and it was definitely going to show. In fact, any manager seeing both players start would immediately be inclined to tell his attackers to get at them early on and cause some stir which Countinho and Benteke did. Thankfully, it did not yield result and it was evident to see as the game wore on that they became better.
The game itself was a neutrals delight, end to end stuff by two teams with an attacking philosophy and we really had chances to win this game. It didn’t work and we now have 4 points from a possible 9 which for a title dreaming team is an early indication of a title challenge remaining a dream. To be honest, I am beginning to worry, it’s all beginning to seem like the start of last season again. We are creating loads of chances, not scoring them and while the easy option is to point to Giroud, scoring really should be more than one player’s responsibility.
The best spell of our game came when Oxlade was introduced, and was this the plan of the manager? When drawing up his starting eleven was Wenger thinking who is that player I can throw into this game and has the ability to instantly make an impression if my team is struggling? Was that the reason Oxlade started from the bench? I do not know, but I think the manager really has to review his persistence with Ramsey on the right? Would I be asking the manager to review his persistence with Ramsey on the right if Ramsey’s goal had stood and he went on to have the kind of game he has had against Liverpool for two seasons now and we won the game? I do not know, I am just an Arsenal fan with some time and an opinion.
It’s not all doom and gloom to be honest, should we have won that game against West Ham, a draw today would not be a particularly bad result , so I feel the anger right now is more about how Arsenal have started the season than with this draw itself. Hopefully the team turns up against Newcastle.
Another event that happened yesterday was Benzema, publicly stating that he was staying at Madrid. This is not his agent, not Real Madrid, not Marca, not Benitez, not his Father, Mother, girlfriend, brother, or anyone closely related to him saying it. IT WAS BENZEMA HIMSELF! Wait a minute, did any of the people above ever say he was coming to Arsenal or even ever said he was available for sale? NO!!
It is public knowledge Arsenal might be in the market for a striker, Benzema is French, he is a striker, he is at a club that Arsenal have done business with in the past, there is a new coach at Madrid and several under indices you can add up yourself and it makes a good story. ITK’s and a collection of the World’s most unreliable media start running the story and yes Arsenal fans jump on it, perpetually purposely throwing away all form of reason to keep retweeting all these transfer bullshit and asking model cum journalist for updates.
We all have followed Arsenal long enough to know how Wenger operates in the market and this whole signing had all the markers of what Wenger would not do. Honestly, I read Benzema’s tweet yesterday and I felt ashamed and insulted as an Arsenal fan. Yes, the clowns he referred to might be the ITK’s and news media, but we everyone who ignored reason and kept feeding those people with retweets and questions are not far off.
I particularly find Jeinny Lizarazo terrible. I think she debases female reporting and journalism. All these throwing her body on social media to ensure she gets maximum attention to a story she may or may not have absolutely no idea about annoys me. In a world where women are working hard to get recognition for their brains and the quality they bring to board rooms, sport rooms and in all spheres of life, to see a woman try to attract attention in any other physical way is sickening. I do not know how Hawley Wright looks but have you heard her talk about Football and Arsenal? Have you read Amy Lawrence’s book on the Invincibles and when she writes for the Guardian or joins the Guardian Football Weekly podcast? Always spot on! In Nigeria, we have Aisha Falode that rose from being a news reporter, to heading Female sections of Nigerian FA, CAF and working with FIFA. Women excelling in a male dominated sports arena. This Jeinny Lizarazo lady, is a shame to all of them in my opinion and I can’t wait for September 1st when hopefully she will disappear from my timeline.
Have a nice day folks. Forgive any errors, not much time to edit before work starts.
Interact with me on the comments section below or on Twitter on @canoncrested.
5 comments
I think you were able to frame the thoughts of every Arsenal fan in your piece. There is that sinking feeling that this is beginning to look like “Mission Impossible”. Anyone who took a look at my TL yesterday will see me oscillating from anger to frustration to a need to feel optimistic. I guess being pessimistic and cynical comes with being a fan. We are like old jilted girl-friends that never go away but keeps coming back for more insults and abuses.
Chambers was a disaster and a complete bag of nerves. Over-all they pulled it through thanks in part to Cech. Against a stronger team like Man City, we would have been buried. But like you said it wasn’t all gloom. We played at a pace that if we can maintain is really encouraging. Ozil once again was magical and i hope people can really give him the credit he deserves. Coq was all over the place covering up for Chambers errors…he is one that brings a smile to my face. And the OX….? Probably the best impact player we have at the moment. Sanchez chased every ball even when he loses it. If only others can just emulate him. Over-all, it was an above average performance but could be better.
As for that Jeinny babe, by her own confession, she probably caused more harm than good about the Benzema deal (if ever there was one). She posted yesterday, DM messages between her and her source to kind of prove that really there was a deal going down. But the messages she posted were more self indicting than absorbing. That’s what you get when your credibility is measured in bra size and not brain power.
Keep the Faith
Thank You Yinka…
Really hope too the team can pick up from their second half performance. With regards to the reporter, I think she even abrogates herself too much importance, and can you blame her. All the attention she was getting, why wouldn’t she feel that way. Do you really think she is that important to hurt a deal between two mega clubs? really? does DM Messages could have been between me and you.
Great piece.
For all the weaknesses Chambers showed last night the encouragement should be that he will have learnt something. Learning those lessons is how young footballers develop. Even old racist centre backs make mistakes but none of the Chavs are writing off their teams chances three games into the season.
I was heartened by Gabriel’s performance, and he seems to have a bit of pace which is never a bad thing looking at how the game is becoming increasingly reliant on that attribute.
As for the clammer for signings. The forward position is the only place we need to strengthen but if there is no-one available who is better than what we have why spend? Just because we have cash we are not going to spend more than what the realistic value is. £240m for Naymar is fucking ridiculous but only just a touch more than £49m is for Sterling. Neither of these players can win you the league, just like adding Benzema or Cavani will not win it for us. The squad wins the league. This squad as it stands has the potential. Our four main rivals have for the last three seasons spent fortunes to build their squads (the Chavs have 24 players out on loan, which is a fucking joke) but we remain close. The depth is there. We may or may not add to it. If we do then only expect top quality not any old body to fill the one place that we have available in the 25 man squad.
The bullshit will be flying over the next seven days. Click bait and low level nude journalism will link us to Benzema, Lacazette, Götze, Draxler, Reus, Müller, Cavani (especially after “Benzema snubs Arsenal”) maybe even Darren Bent! Just ignore it. The rumours will start again after the interlull!
Just want to finish by talking about Coq. He was immense last night. So to those demanding a DM before next week have a look at what we’ve got. On current form he’s way ahead of any other DM available in this window. To be honest it is hard to see if we can get an upgrade now or in the near future. Just so you know Arsène paid £700k for Coq. I want a t-shirt with “I love Coq!” emblazoned across my chest! You all should!
Simon, don’t forget you have access to an editor here in the UK.
Lol @ Old racist centre backs. That is where Wenger differentiates himself from most managers in his handling of Calum Chambers. Most managers would have pulled him out, what would it do to his confidence. It’s the same way Bellerin was roasted against Dortmund and the evidence is there for us to see now.
Can’t deal with the transfer window anymore. I can’t wait for the window to close and I think it really should close before the season starts.
As for editing, to be honest I was too pissed at the end of the post by the whole low level nude journalism thing and how Arsenal fans allowed themselves to be dragged through it to care. I know you always have my back.
Good analogy with Hector.
Comments are closed.