Up the Arse! Goons Thread

[glenferry23]

If Odegaard is fit then I want Eze on the left personally, might be the wake up call Martinelli needs.

Would love to see Eze start too. However just don’t get the feeling it will happen for this one, a front 3 of Gyokeres, Madueke and Eze have zero minutes together. Eze has only been at the club a week. I cannot envisage Arteta doing that just yet, for me Trossard or Martinelli starts on the left. I could be completely wrong, just my gut feeling.

 

[TY24]

Would love to see Eze start too. However just don’t get the feeling it will happen for this one, a front 3 of Gyokeres, Madueke and Eze have zero minutes together. Eze has only been at the club a week. I cannot envisage Arteta doing that just yet, for me Trossard or Martinelli starts on the left. I could be completely wrong, just my gut feeling.

You make a great point

 

[dirty2]

Will be waking up early for this game...

Feeling pretty confident...

 

[glenferry23]

You make a great point

Additionally, the extra defensive work that you get from Martinelli or Trossard might tip Arteta. On that flank to manage Salah to support Calafiori (who I’m predicting will start).

 

[Hawks1523]

How we feeling boys!?

 

[Hawks1523]

****.

 

[bok_party]

Some strike from Dom. Not much you can do about that.

Thought we were better in the first half and dropped off a lot in the second. Seemed like we were content with the point.

Calafiori was fantastic today. He really nullified Salah whilst being able to help in attack.

Gyokeres looks like he’s running through quicksand. Didn’t really utilise him but he was always gonna have a tough day against the huge centre backs.

Madueke looked our best outlet and felt we could have used him more. Martinelli didn’t show much again.

Saliba injury could hurt but Mosquera was very very good. He’s exciting to watch.

 

[TY24]

I’m sure we’ll win at Anfield at some point in my life. ****s sake.

 

[glenferry23]

Brilliant free kick to win it. A draw would have been a fair result however these are the margins. Undone by a set piece.

 

[giantroo]

One ripper free kick.

 

[Hawks1523]

It felt like we were happy with the draw from kick off. Liverpool were there for the taking and we created not much of anything sadly

 

[Planet14]

Got to say we are none the wiser as to how this team is going to shape up for the season ahead. The decision to start Merino was disappointing and indicative of nothing changing under Arteta, and his desire for control over all else.

However, it is impossible to know whether he may have been more ambitious if Saka was available, if Odegaard was available, if Havertz was available, if Eze had been at the club more that week.

Too many variables to really judge his decision making. There is absolutely no point adding Gyokeres, Madueke and Eze and not substantially changing the playing style, but we won't know for a while yet.

 

[Gambit78]

I'm struggling to understand some of the negativity swirling around. It literally took a 1 in a 1000 free-kick to beat us and we had not only the players mentioned unavailable, but we lost Saliba 4min in.

My only criticism was bringing Dowman on. I'd have liked Nwaneri and/or Trossard instead. But that aside, I thought the team looked good, seemed comfortable, Madueke had some good looks and Eze needed to shoot at the end there.

Liverpool winning papers over their cracks just as much. Why is Wirtz worth £100m+? Why can't their midfield hit a pass? There were so many turnovers. Ekitike was as nullified as Gyokeres. Salah was anonymous. AND it's match week 3. Everyone needs to take a breath. The talent of this team needs to gel. Once it does, I don't think any other team comes close to being as balanced.

Peter Schmeichel has too much air time. The knee-jerks on social media are absurd.

 

[glenferry23]

The punditry and narrative around Arsenal never ceases to amaze me. The match was so evenly balanced that it’s taken a worldie free kick to separate the teams (a goal worthy of winning any match by the way, it was that good). However in the prevailing narrative there’s hardly mention of how little Liverpool created otherwise and how tight it was. Slot said it very well here:



Hopefully one day soon we can go into a big match with the best players available. Saka, Odegaard and Havertz would have started this one for sure. In addition to losing Saliba 4 minutes in, that’s 4 key first team players off the pitch for the majority of the match. The continued/recurring injuries is something you can largely prepare for by way of what Arsenal have done this summer, however at some point that can only go so far. You need them on the pitch when it counts.

Having said that, there’s still plenty of quality there that did enough to at minimum take a result here. Or perhaps even pinch it down the other end if Eze took the first time shot, or more glaringly for me, Martinelli played that pass into Gyokeres. I don’t think it’s necessarily the plan for Gyokeres to play every minute of every game, for me Kai is a walk up start in matches like this. His pressing and passing ability is another level, Gyokeres is just not a like for like equivalent. And it’s only 3 games in yes, however you can question why are Arsenal not taking those passes earlier for Gyokeres when he’s exactly there for that reason. It’s poor decision making in the final third that makes all the difference.

Merino I wasn’t at all surprised to see start, throwing Eze in from the outset is just not an Arteta thing to do. Rightly or wrongly. The midfield lacked creativity however so did Liverpool, it was that type of game. Both teams negated each other so well.

I thought Calafiori and Madueke were the standouts. Calafiori outstanding at times and did an excellent job on Salah with support from Martinelli (who I otherwise thought was very average, and really will find himself on the fringes soon as I’m hoping Eze will come in post international break). Madueke and Calafiori both had 3 shots each, which tells a story on its own.

Whilst Kerkez v Madueke was a great battle and mostly even, cannot say the same on the left. Martinelli didn’t do anywhere near enough to trouble makeshift fullback Szoboslai. He should have done more one v one but unfortunately didn’t. That’s just not good enough in games of this stature.

Mosquera too I thought handled the situation beautifully. Thrown into Anfield 4 minutes in and didn’t look out of place given the world class centre halves on the pitch for both sides.

Nwaneri should’ve been on, and sooner. Arteta made a mistake though. As highly as I rate Dowman, this wasn’t the time for him imo. Martinelli should’ve been off sooner too. However with already using one of your subs on 4 minutes to replace Saliba, that’s probably had an impact on how/when he then makes changes in the second half.

A frustrating result however not the end of the world. The concern though is the adaptation period of Gyokeres and the new signings, given the early season injuries already, there’s a need to expedite the way we get the best out of Gyokeres and co.

From a Liverpool perspective though, what a time for them. They haven’t been at their best yet have banked 9 points from 9 and about to sign Isak.

For Arsenal, Arteta has the next fortnight to make these adjustments and hoping to get the 3 points against Forest.

 

[Shoei]

I swear the Arsenal supporter base is the most negative support base in the world.

It's GW3.

No team is playing amazing football.

Arsenal squeaked over the line against United. Lost to Liverpool 1-0 in a very even game.
Liverpool squeaked over the line against Newcastle and now Arsenal.
Man City have lost 2 in a row.
Newcastle lost to Liverpool.
Tottenham beat City, lost to Brentford
Man United lost to Arsenal etc etc etc

Anyone trying to make sense of the season based on the first handful of games is crazy. Every team is still sorting themselves out. New players getting used to their teammates, tactics and Premier League opposition.

 

[glenferry23]

Hincapie announcement due sometime soon apparently. I imagine Kiwior to Porto as well.

Supposedly Hamburg are purchasing Lokonga, whilst loaning in Vieira. A nice little 2 for 1 deadline day deal perhaps.

 

[andana]

AND it's match week 3. Everyone needs to take a breath.

It's GW3.

No team is playing amazing football.

Youse are spot on.


Meanwhile in Germany

Leverkusen sack Ten Hag after three games
published at 11:02 British Summer Time
11:02 BST
BREAKING
Bayer Leverkusen have confirmed the departure of manager Erik ten Hag after just three games in charge.

 

[andana]

Hincapie well out of Leverkusen

 

[TY24]

Seems like we’ve struck a late loan deal with Forest for Zinchenko

 

[glenferry23]

Nelson loaned to Brentford as well I believe.

 

[Cruyff14]

This is very accurate

 

[Gambit78]

So, Nelson's loan doesn't have an option to buy? Interesting. Zinchenko is effectively running down his contract at Forest. Viera and Kiwior's sales are on next year's books. We got around £5m for Lokonga. Guestimate is around £15 - 20m in sales total?

My silver lining for this lies in the fact that the squad of players we have now are all of value. Hoping we change this 'poor selling club' perception from here on in.

 

[glenferry23]

Very well written.

Different stories

The narrative engine hits overdrive, already

redstory.substack.com

 

[andana]

Very well written.

Different stories

The narrative engine hits overdrive, already

redstory.substack.com

The Arsenal hate has been long because they see us as a threat and relish anything not seen as a success.
Todays world of hate seems to be getting worse all over

 

[windyhill]

My big problem with Arsenal is the over playing of Saka. These hamstrings will keep happening, pings it v Leeds, you can guarantee he would've done it v lpool or while on England duty. ****ing protect him. He plays too many minutes, oh yeah, give him a run out v Preston in the league cup last year, ****ing ridiculous.
You can see it from a mile away. If he sooks, so be it. Protect him from himself. He's injured that much you might as well send him to the injury cesspit that is Essendon.
Been banging on about this for years. Protect him from himself. Limit the minutes. It's pathetic.