Apologies for missing our disappointing defeat to United last weekend. I'm going to admit I was hopeful that we'd take something from there especially after the bizarre results which included Chelsea, Tottenham and City all dropping points in games they all should have won. But in football you can't win everything and eventually something had to give just annoyingly it had to give there.
We all knew that eventually we'd overplay or it just wouldn't click or whatever. But the most important thing about losing is how we respond. In football every teams loses, it's just a fact but the best teams, the title contending teams, respond by putting in a real performance. Players have left for internationals which may or may not be at the best time following the defeat but when they return we face Southampton at Home which would normally be a match we'd expect to win. However Southampton sit 3 points behind us in 3rd which is just ridiculous and I expect they will eventually drop away but while they're playing the way they are it's dangerous.
The second best attack (due to City's 7-0) vs. the best defence in the league. Should be interesting but on our day we have more than enough to break them down with the quality we have in our ranks. Reports suggest that Walcott may be back which will give us pace down the flanks, something we have lacked in one or two games this season but how he will perform after a decent spell on the sidelines is anybody's guess. It'll be tough but first we have a number of players that need to come through internationals.
In other good news SZCZ has signed a new deal at the club and although it has not been disclosed it is a long-term one. For a goalkeeper 23 is nothing and he's career has a long way to go yet and the fact that he's happy to spend them with us is fantastic. He's had problems but as a keeper that's to be expected and he has learnt from them and become a better player because of them and being a keeper that's the most important thing. He has an advantage over his counterparts in that he might get another 17 years out of football if he has a very, very good poke and that gives him a long time to become the polished article which I think he can be.
Anyway that's about it, I'll be back Friday with all the news and build up to the Southampton game. Till then.
Sunday, 17 November 2013
Friday, 1 November 2013
Liverpool (H)
Tomorrow is without a doubt the biggest test of the season for us so far, disappointing cup results need to be put behind us as we take on third place Liverpool who have been playing well this season. Mainly due to the racist up front partnering Sturridge, 2 of the leagues top 3 scorers.
Liverpool is always a test and we've been disappointing against them in the last few seasons so now is the perfect time to put that to bed and give us some breathing space from them at least. With a number of teams on our coat tails it's important that we take the points from these big games.
After watching our performance in the League Cup on Tuesday I'm not particularly confident about a result and I know it'll be a different team but there were some big names in the side that took on Chelsea and we just didn't look interested. The vital point when taking on Liverpool is the midfield, if we can shut off the supply to Suarez and Sturridge then we'll give them some problems. However with no Flamini someone is going to have to put in a defensive shift in order to keep them quiet.
So we're without Flamini and the rest of the bunch that are still injured, aside from that I think we'll see Arteta partner Ramsey in the holding role and he'll have to be at the top of his game if we're to get anything out of this match. Cazorla will take up his role on the left with Wilshere on the right and Ozil sitting behind Giroud.
In contrast Liverpool are set to see Coutinho return and the Brazilian will be a handful for us on and off the ball. They are still without Agger meaning Skrtel will sit in the middle of the defence with Toure and Sakho either side. That said I think Cazorla will cause Toure some problems, Toure is a good defender but age is starting to take its toll. The tricky Spaniard may have some joy down the left while Wilshere will have his work cut out against the powerful Sakho.
Tomorrow is the start of 4 tough games with Dortmund and United the following week and then an in form Southampton the week after. In terms of league games if we can take 7 points from our next 3 then I think we'll be in a healthy position going into the busy December period. We will be judged on the result tomorrow irrelevant on the result so best we turn up. COYG!
Liverpool is always a test and we've been disappointing against them in the last few seasons so now is the perfect time to put that to bed and give us some breathing space from them at least. With a number of teams on our coat tails it's important that we take the points from these big games.
After watching our performance in the League Cup on Tuesday I'm not particularly confident about a result and I know it'll be a different team but there were some big names in the side that took on Chelsea and we just didn't look interested. The vital point when taking on Liverpool is the midfield, if we can shut off the supply to Suarez and Sturridge then we'll give them some problems. However with no Flamini someone is going to have to put in a defensive shift in order to keep them quiet.
So we're without Flamini and the rest of the bunch that are still injured, aside from that I think we'll see Arteta partner Ramsey in the holding role and he'll have to be at the top of his game if we're to get anything out of this match. Cazorla will take up his role on the left with Wilshere on the right and Ozil sitting behind Giroud.
In contrast Liverpool are set to see Coutinho return and the Brazilian will be a handful for us on and off the ball. They are still without Agger meaning Skrtel will sit in the middle of the defence with Toure and Sakho either side. That said I think Cazorla will cause Toure some problems, Toure is a good defender but age is starting to take its toll. The tricky Spaniard may have some joy down the left while Wilshere will have his work cut out against the powerful Sakho.
Tomorrow is the start of 4 tough games with Dortmund and United the following week and then an in form Southampton the week after. In terms of league games if we can take 7 points from our next 3 then I think we'll be in a healthy position going into the busy December period. We will be judged on the result tomorrow irrelevant on the result so best we turn up. COYG!
Friday, 25 October 2013
Crystal Palace (A)
On Tuesday night we got undone by a classic smash and grab. We were in the ascendancy and probably should have settled for the draw but such was the desire to win that we committed too many and got undone by a well worked counter attack. Overall I think we were the better team but Dortmund scored the all important second after Cazorla hit the bar. It also showed the importance of Flamini as he would have been covering for Sagna when Lewandowski appeared at the far post to volley home.
I can accept losing because in football it happens, you can't win them all. The most important aspect of losing is the reaction following. If we batter Palace at the weekend then we're all well and good. It's the perfect opportunity to bounce back and looking at fixtures over the next few weeks it's important that we do that well. In terms of the team we play, it's all a bit up in the air. Either way I think we'll see the return of Flamini in the holding position alongside Arteta I would imagine. The rest of the team is a bit of guess although the thought of Wenger playing a side that contains youngsters and inexperienced players is probably misfounded bearing in mind we have Chelsea in the Capital One Cup on Tuesday night.
Palace are a side struggling to find form and are now managerless so we have to be aware of the affect that sometimes has on a team. They will probably have former player Chamakh leading their attack and lets face it, I wouldn't be remotely surprised if he scored against us for some strange reason. Jedinak is a tidy player as is Capana. I think the wings could be an area where we get some joy. That said we lack out and out wingers and I think we missed Walcott's pace against Dortmund too.
This weekend gives us a great chance to react following the disappointment on Tuesday ahead of some tough games including Liverpool and Manchester United in the league. Hopefully we can turn up, put in a performance and stay top this week. COYG!
I can accept losing because in football it happens, you can't win them all. The most important aspect of losing is the reaction following. If we batter Palace at the weekend then we're all well and good. It's the perfect opportunity to bounce back and looking at fixtures over the next few weeks it's important that we do that well. In terms of the team we play, it's all a bit up in the air. Either way I think we'll see the return of Flamini in the holding position alongside Arteta I would imagine. The rest of the team is a bit of guess although the thought of Wenger playing a side that contains youngsters and inexperienced players is probably misfounded bearing in mind we have Chelsea in the Capital One Cup on Tuesday night.
Palace are a side struggling to find form and are now managerless so we have to be aware of the affect that sometimes has on a team. They will probably have former player Chamakh leading their attack and lets face it, I wouldn't be remotely surprised if he scored against us for some strange reason. Jedinak is a tidy player as is Capana. I think the wings could be an area where we get some joy. That said we lack out and out wingers and I think we missed Walcott's pace against Dortmund too.
This weekend gives us a great chance to react following the disappointment on Tuesday ahead of some tough games including Liverpool and Manchester United in the league. Hopefully we can turn up, put in a performance and stay top this week. COYG!
Tuesday, 22 October 2013
Borussia Dortmund (H)
The big blow for us is that Mathieu Flamini is out of the game after picking up a concussion against Norwich at the weekend. Flamini has been a revelation since we got him back on free and has provided the back four with some much needed support sitting just ahead of them. Without him tonight our back line will need to be on song against the likes of Reus and co. Dortmund are a team that have a lot of pace on the wings and centrally so our positioning will be key to keeping them at bay.
We certainly have the attacking qualities to break them down despite their impressive defence. With players from all over the pitch scoring we have enough outlets to find the net and it makes us versatile. With Ozil, Wilshere and Cazorla likely to make up our trio sitting behind Giroud we can hold the play up but move quickly. Giroud has a big job tonight holding the ball up but if he does it as well as he has been we shouldn't worry about that.
Dortmund's threats going forward are countless. They have pace in Reus and Aubameyang whichever one they decide to use (probably Reus) but they have a more technical goalscorer in Lewandowski. Mkhitaryan is their Ozil if you will creating the moves and also finding the net every now and then. He can be a handful and we'll have to watch him closely.
It's going to be a very close game tonight and we're playing a top, top team. To get anything we'll have to be at our best. If we win it's a statement of intent and will put us in a very healthy position. COYG!
Thursday, 17 October 2013
Norwich City (H)
Finally the internationals are over and England have qualified for the finals, happy days all round. It appears at the moment that we have escaped the internationals relatively injury free. Mesut Ozil worryingly limped off in Germany's game against Sweden but it seems he just has a bruised knee. He will undergo a fitness test before the match but the signs are positive.
Santi Cazorla is back in full training and the only question mark is his fitness so he may play some role against Norwich but I'm not convinced he'll start. The same applies to Bacary Sagna, he will probably be in the squad but I doubt he'll start. Rosicky is available to play if Wenger sees fit.
The freedom that Wenger now has in the midfield is to pick his midfield to play against the oppositions weaknesses. So the manager will decide who to play depending on what he sees as Norwich weaknesses. Their strengths lie in attack in my opinion. With van Wolfswinkel leading the line and the powerful Leroy Fer sitting behind the holding midfielders will have a to be up to scratch. For me this may indicate the Rosicky/Flamini pairing as although Arteta is fit he isn't the most powerful of players.
We have the quality in the team to give them problems, I think we'll have Wilshere and Ramsey on the wings to help feed Giroud from more central positions. Hopefully Ozil will pass his fitness test and work his recent magic to provide our players with the opportunities to score. It'll be a tough game against a side that have had a poor start to the season that they will look to put right. We need to pick our form back up after the break if we want to remain as the pace setters for the league.
It can be difficult after the internationals to regain form straight away but that's what the best teams do and if we want to seriously challenge for the title we need to hit the ground running.
Santi Cazorla is back in full training and the only question mark is his fitness so he may play some role against Norwich but I'm not convinced he'll start. The same applies to Bacary Sagna, he will probably be in the squad but I doubt he'll start. Rosicky is available to play if Wenger sees fit.
The freedom that Wenger now has in the midfield is to pick his midfield to play against the oppositions weaknesses. So the manager will decide who to play depending on what he sees as Norwich weaknesses. Their strengths lie in attack in my opinion. With van Wolfswinkel leading the line and the powerful Leroy Fer sitting behind the holding midfielders will have a to be up to scratch. For me this may indicate the Rosicky/Flamini pairing as although Arteta is fit he isn't the most powerful of players.
We have the quality in the team to give them problems, I think we'll have Wilshere and Ramsey on the wings to help feed Giroud from more central positions. Hopefully Ozil will pass his fitness test and work his recent magic to provide our players with the opportunities to score. It'll be a tough game against a side that have had a poor start to the season that they will look to put right. We need to pick our form back up after the break if we want to remain as the pace setters for the league.
It can be difficult after the internationals to regain form straight away but that's what the best teams do and if we want to seriously challenge for the title we need to hit the ground running.
Thursday, 3 October 2013
West Brom (A)
This weekend we take on West Brom at the Hawthorns for the second time in 2 weeks. However I suspect both teams will have very different teams out from those that clashed in the Capital One Cup. In terms of team news, we have everyone who played Napoli fit, bar Bacary Sagna who has a minor problem and will need scans. I have a feeling we will start with Wilshere in the middle after beginning Tuesdays game on the bench, Gnabry is also an option after being rested.
West Brom are an altogether different outfit this season without Lukaku. They do however have a raft of players returning from injury including Sessegnon who is a dangerous player on his day. Anelka is also there and although his game lacks pace he still knows where the goal is. They have the power in the midfield of Mulumbu and winger Amalfitano can be a handful. They miss Foster in goal though and Myhill has stepped up. I think they'll play cagily to start with to avoid losing an early goal and having to chase but if it remains tight throughout the most part they'll stretch and the game will open up.
The momentum is with us at the moment but West Brom will want to spoil the party this weekend and it's up to us to turn up and put in the performances like we have done for the last 10 games or so. A win and we remain top of the table which is a very nice place to be come the close of play at the weekend.
Tuesday, 1 October 2013
Napoli (H)
Another tricky away game and another nice win for us. Ramsey on target and fantastic to see Serge Gnabry get on the score sheet after a couple of good games. He's really taking his chance whilst Walcott is out.
Tonight we return to Europes Elite competition with possibly the toughest team in our group against Napoli. A team who beat Borussia Dortmund in the last game and a team who are hovering near the top of Serie A. They are a good team under Benitez and a team with a lot of dangerous players. Higuain will no doubt get a bad reception despite it not being his fault that we didn't attempt to buy him.
We'll have to keep tabs on him tonight as I'm sure we all know how potent he is in front of goal. Napoli also have a wealth of other attacking options in Jose Callejon and Lorenzo Insigne. They are a powerful team and I expect them to try and use that to their advantage. We also face a man who knows Wenger and his style well after his years in the Premier League.
However we can say the same about Wenger and our side has momentum at the moment. Pepe Reina moved their from Liverpool and we all know he is a bit hit and miss in his age. If we can get some shots on target I think we'll grab a goal or two, it's keeping us tight at the back that concerns me. The defence need to be on form if we're to escape serious damage tonight.
I don't think the team will change from the one that beat Swansea on Saturday, mainly because apart from Rosicky we don't have anybody else. So it'll be a baptism of fire for young Gnabry but his time has to come eventually. Ozil will face ex-team mates in Higuain and Callejon, whilst Vermaelen has identified Belgian colleague Dries Mertens as a threat to watch.
Tonight is going to be a really tough match and make no mistake that a loss would put us under real pressure for the remaining games. 12 points will be enough to qualify, which in effect is 3 home wins and 1 away win. We have the away win in the bag and a win tonight and we're bang on track.
Finally a word on Le Boss who has been with us for 17 years today. Under extreme pressure last season before our incredible last 10 games, people were calling for his head, but he is by far the most successful manager in our history, the pioneer behind our Invincibles a feat that may never be matched. He is a man who knows football inside out and I hope he gets the backing he deserves from everyone.
But for tonight he will be focused solely on Napoli.
Tonight we return to Europes Elite competition with possibly the toughest team in our group against Napoli. A team who beat Borussia Dortmund in the last game and a team who are hovering near the top of Serie A. They are a good team under Benitez and a team with a lot of dangerous players. Higuain will no doubt get a bad reception despite it not being his fault that we didn't attempt to buy him.
We'll have to keep tabs on him tonight as I'm sure we all know how potent he is in front of goal. Napoli also have a wealth of other attacking options in Jose Callejon and Lorenzo Insigne. They are a powerful team and I expect them to try and use that to their advantage. We also face a man who knows Wenger and his style well after his years in the Premier League.
However we can say the same about Wenger and our side has momentum at the moment. Pepe Reina moved their from Liverpool and we all know he is a bit hit and miss in his age. If we can get some shots on target I think we'll grab a goal or two, it's keeping us tight at the back that concerns me. The defence need to be on form if we're to escape serious damage tonight.
I don't think the team will change from the one that beat Swansea on Saturday, mainly because apart from Rosicky we don't have anybody else. So it'll be a baptism of fire for young Gnabry but his time has to come eventually. Ozil will face ex-team mates in Higuain and Callejon, whilst Vermaelen has identified Belgian colleague Dries Mertens as a threat to watch.
Tonight is going to be a really tough match and make no mistake that a loss would put us under real pressure for the remaining games. 12 points will be enough to qualify, which in effect is 3 home wins and 1 away win. We have the away win in the bag and a win tonight and we're bang on track.
Finally a word on Le Boss who has been with us for 17 years today. Under extreme pressure last season before our incredible last 10 games, people were calling for his head, but he is by far the most successful manager in our history, the pioneer behind our Invincibles a feat that may never be matched. He is a man who knows football inside out and I hope he gets the backing he deserves from everyone.
But for tonight he will be focused solely on Napoli.
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