Leicester v Arsenal Review: Who needs a CF hey?!

TotalArsenal

It’s been a tough few days for the Gooner family, any enjoyment we took from seeing our favourites resting, training and growing together in the Dubai sunshine was cruelly cut short with the devastating news of Kai Havertz being ruled out for the rest of the season with a hamstring. What had we done to deserve such bad luck, for anybody else a hamstring means 3 weeks recovery but for Arsenal it’s 3 months!

Fortunately we have a man in charge who doesn’t allow the darkness to fester and after a short few moments of despair Mikel Arteta got to work on the emotional well-being of his players, no time to feel sorry for yourself you have two trophies to fight for – what a man.

Leicester away on paper, given their recent results, looked a nailed on 3 pointer, although no Premier League team rolls over, well maybe Tottenham. But with no physical presence up front it was going to be a tough assignment. Arteta needed to be creative and he was as creative as he could be given his resources.

It was a miserable, miserable day, a heavy drizzle made the pitch slippery and ball control an issue, Leicester stuck 10 men behind the ball leaving the wily Vardy to plough a lonely furrow up front. Nobody can bounce off of a defender and win a cheap free kick like our Jamie even if that burst of pace has deserted him, he’s scored more EPL goals against Arsenal in his career than any other club (11) so the threat was still there in his aging legs. 

Ndidi had returned to the Foxes midfield and added a degree of quality and resilience, he’s one the club could look at in the summer,  Ayew did what Ayew always does – leaves his foot in, he’s a tough nut and he gave Timber an interesting afternoon.

In general we got what we expected from our defence and midfield, dominated possession and pretty much pinned Leicester into their half. The low block in front of Leicester’s goal reminded me of Marble Arch gyratory on a Saturday afternoon (minus the kamikaze cyclists) room was at a premium and as much as Arsenal tried to tiptoe through the tulips there was just too many blue socked legs in the way.

Leicester created the odd hairy moment, but that’s to be expected when the onus was on Arsenal to go for it, but generally Arsenal kept the back door shut in the 1st 45 even if our creatively output was not going to get you off of your seat. I was pretty much in 1-0 to the Arsenal mode.

The 2nd 45 was a bit more open, maybe Leicester sensed an opportunity to earn a surprise victory with Arsenal labouring up front? Leicester’s best chance came shortly after the hour mark as a low cross flashed across our goal with only a timely Myles Lewis Skelly toe poke preventing a far post tap in for De Cordova-Reid.

Arteta had seen enough and on 69 minutes he took off the ineffective Sterling and sent on Mikel Merino, but honestly was this midfielder going to turn the game in our favour? What had he really done up till now?

MM made a bit of a nuisance of himself in the box and Trossard, the recipient of some nasty ankle ‘taps’ moved out onto the left wing. On the 76th minute Arteta made the crucial substitutions of Califiori for the impressive but tiring Lewis Skelly and Jorginho for the disappointing Partey, Jorginho immediately took control of the midfield and Califiori added some energy and physical presence on the left flank and 5 minutes later we were, or I was, dancing around the front room celebrating.

A smart combination of passing resulted in Nwaneri clipping a diagonal cross from the right edge of the penalty area towards the far post and rising like a salmon to head home was Mikel Merino with twisted neck muscles to direct a powerful header past the helpless Foxes goalkeeper. Cue pandemonium in the away end and the birth of a new, melodic song for our new ‘striker’… Cue pandemonium in my front room with two bemused cats looking at me as if I was having ‘a moment’.
Well I kinds was tbh.

The weight seemed to collectively lift from the team and we moved the ball around sweetly after that, Leicester of course came back at us but the Foxes don’t have the quality they once had and we kept them at arms length despite a few crosses into the box. On the 87th minute the ball found itself at the capable feet of Leo Trossard and with Leicester stretched he had at last the time and space to measure the perfect low cross/pass to Super Mikel Merino racing in on the right side of the goal area who calmly adjusted his stance to left foot a low shot into the net, job done!

At the end the team celebrated but didn’t overdo it, we don’t want to trigger anyone do we?

I can honestly say that this was one of the most satisfying victories of this season for me all things considered, it shows that we’re still in the fight and Liverpool will not have an easy ride to the end of the season.

Nwaneri was man of the match and produced a sparkling performance that’ll excite the fans and give Bakayo food for thought and maybe  Bakayo’s future lays elsewhere in this team, that said we certainly won’t need to flog him like a pack horse anymore?

Special mention to Timber who had his hands full and Saliba who was getting his mojo back after Isak and of course the King of Brazil who never fails. MLS was so good they named him twice, Rice I thought had a great game, working like a Trojan, getting into the box, helping out the defence, compensating for an off-form Partey, he never stops running, tackling, passing etc. Sterling was bang average and basically played himself out of the team, you know, you want him to do well but you just can’t keep kidding yourself, he might be a lovely fella who his team mates love but he can’t do it anymore.

Trossard had a couple of control issues when in good positions but he never hides, he always makes himself available and gets routinely kicked into the bargain, he came off on the 87th minute to be replaced by Mr Tesco, always good to see him on the pitch.
Odegaard is still struggling to find his A game ( is he carrying an injury?) but he’ll still give you everything. Califiori made an impressive contribution and he never sulks, a great team player and a thoroughly likeable character. Jorginho brought an air of composure and control to the midfield, maybe he deserves to start the next game?

And so we fight on…

By Allezkev

92 thoughts on “Leicester v Arsenal Review: Who needs a CF hey?!”

  • Nice, Kev. Excellent post match thoughts. I can picture you teaching those cats of yours the cha cha. I was tucked up in bed watching, but when the first goal finally arrived at exactly at 2.10 am NZ time the bed covers went for a burton and the rest of the household knew The Arsenal had scored.
    I thought we would see the realisation of LG’s prophesy of the first in a string of 1-0 to The Arsenal results, but Super, super Mick, Super, super Mick Merino earned himself a song with a fabulous second. I think the neighbours heard me on that one.

    Ethan was my MOTM, that boy will be cast in bronze one day. If only that shot was an inch to the left, it would have been his 8th goal for us while still just 17! What a strike. His courage mirrors that of MLS, I can’t wait to see him go up against CL defences.

    Fine substitutions all round from Mikel and, you were so right, Kev to acknowledge his ability to look adversity in the eye, dispense with despair and lift the spirits of us all.

    Both you and LG mentioned Jorginho’s role. Such an impressive fellow. I’d liken him more to a saint in a stained glass window, LG. Not the angel who fell like lightening from Heaven. Now there is only darkness in him.

  • I enjoyed reading your post twice, Kev. You really covered all aspects of the game brilliantly.

    I thought Partey did OK and did not see Jorginho making such a difference as others have mentioned. Agreed on Ethan being MotM. At times it looks like he is on hovershoes, so smooth and fast is his movement. A joy to watch.

    Raheem and Leandro are out of form but boy did they work the Foxes’ defence. In the end two quality crosses and finishes made the difference, and on-pitch Mikel showed what a versatile, Kaiesque player he is.

    I agree with you on Ndidi; he had a good game.

    This wasn’t easy but Mikel scoring twice will silence the critics for a while. Bliss.

  • Three cool cats … I claim a right to Kev’s place’s naming!
    Thanks, mate; I’m pretty sure the phrase “to wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve“ was coined so language might be true to the way you report an Arsenal game.
    There are so many ways to enjoy football, it’s truly amazing. We might be in for one of the most unexpectedly exciting “last mile” in decades. As injuries piled up on top of one another, and the PGMOL pulled all of their dirty anti-Arsenal tricks out of their bags, we’ve become the most unlikely contenders imaginable – and yet, we’re still standing.
    “what a man”: this is the part of Mikel’s tenure I like most, Kev. Fortune pisses on him, but he takes it with a big smile across his face, screaming “Is that all you got? Bring ’em on, you c*nt”, at the top of his lungs. That’s the spirit indeed. The Merino stratagem was such stuff a fan (and a manager) dreams are made on, but truth is that, to get the one-nils we need, Mikel might have to figure out a string of new ones to come out alive of each and every one of the last fifteen minutes that lie ahead; our wives, (grand)children, neighbors, pets, … should all get emergency heart check-ups asap.
    From now on, it’ll be the Pacino thing “heal as a team, or die as individuals“, which is why we should support Sterling. Nothing’s easier than love Ethan and Myles right now, but it’s Raheem who needs us to prop him up, put him back on the path to excellence. What will we gain, what will the club gain from our calling him names, harassing him, telling him what a failure he is, over and over again – as, unfortunately I’ve read on other blogs already?
    Let’s give him our love, show him we know that what’s happening to him is just confidence-related mind-poisoning, that the player he was is still there somewhere. As of now, who knows who the 2025 Anfield Michæl Thomas will be? If, instead of pourin’ water on a drowning man, we lend him the helpful hand he needs, I’d wager quite a few bucks on Raheem …
    COYG

  • Cheers Total, I guess I based my view on the fact that Jorginho was playing progressive passes whereas Partey tended to play sideways more, this could have been game state I.e. Leicester opening up more at that stage but I just sensed more control from Uncle and less surety from Thomas.

    Yes Duke, we do of course need to support Raheem and tbf I think the fans who go to the games and thus have more impact on the players do support him despite the fact that there’s not a lot to get behind. I actually think that he’ll start against West Ham and that Merino will come off of the bench.

    Stu, you are a hero, I can’t imagine waking up at 2.30am to watch Leicester vs Arsenal, so many of our overseas fans make this sacrifice to follow our team, I am in awe…

  • Yes Total, Ndidi is definitely worth considering as is Delap of Ipswich and a few other British based players who can add something to our squad in terms of rotational options, we have to take and learn from this season. English football is attritional like no other and you cannot rely on luck and a small squad.

  • Nothing heroic about laying in bed, Kev. It’s those fans who give up their weekends or midweek nights, fork out for petrol or expensive train fares and match tickets to sit on freezing terraces in inhospitable environments who deserve the kudos. I never went to an away match out of London during my years in the UK.
    Wolves so nearly did us a huge favour this morning. Hopefully the Villains will derail that Liverpool luck train on Thursday. Rashford seems to be coming back to life, judging by his performance v Ipswich.
    Watching a very dour Spuds v Manure. Astonished to learn that Casemiro has a career total of 35 red cards.

    You recognize this quote, LG?
    “Now I have come to the crossroads in my life. I always knew what the right path was. Without exception, I knew. But I never took it. You know why? It was too damn hard. Now here’s Charlie. He’s come to the crossroads. He has chosen a path. It’s the right path. It’s a path made of principle that leads to character. Let him continue on his journey. You hold this boy’s future in your hands, committee. It’s a valuable future. Believe me. Don’t destroy it. Protect it. Embrace it. It’s gonna make you proud one day, I promise you.”

  • Well written piece, Kev and it would seem you poured your heart into this one. The comments afterwards have equally been spot on, even if varied.
    I thought Partey played to his instructions but was a bit shaky at times, quite uncharacteristically. I can forgive him though as he is targeted by the opposition press and some of his misplaced passes were due to recipients being on a different wavelength to him.

    MLS is becoming something of a young maverick in his application; that last ditch tackle to deflect the ball away from a Leicester player’s touch was match saving. He is so adept at keeping possession and shielding the ball, for one so young. Ethan Nwaneri is increasingly making the absence of Saka more bearable; imagine having to choose from either of them soon. A credit to the academy’s work.
    Special mention for the work that Timber puts in, unnoticed. He is so solid and will only get better.
    As expected, Liverpool got through the Wolves challenge, but only just. I thought the home side got a few favourable ref calls, not the least of which was Konate staying on the pitch after three potential yellow card offences in the first half alone.

    We just have to keep putting pressure on them and see how well they hold.

  • I wonder, if litigation bankrupts the Premier League can they go into liquidation and reform under a new name, minus Man City and maybe Newcastle. Just saying?

  • Kev for Pres. Can we add Chelsea to that list, mate? It is becoming clearer than ever how Abramovich bankrolled that club and laundered his ill gotten lucre through it.

  • I do, actually, Stu. I’m a huge Pacino fan – well, nothing original about that.
    I call these 3 speeches (“Any Given Sunday“, “Scent of a Woman“, and “Carlito’s way“ – my own personal favorite) solos, the rhetorical equivalents of Neil Young’s and/or Gilmour’s guitars in “Like a Hurricane“, “Time“ and of course “Shine on you …“.
    I happen to have used them many times with the students it was my turn to coach for speech contests in English, if only to help them identify, and memorize examples of figures of speech, which those 15 minutes are as many Ali Baba’s caves of, as you well know.
    “Total“ agreement about Timber, Eris, what a defender-team player he is. Talking about rejuvenating our midfield, I like his twin bro Quinten a lot too, he’s as cool-headed a DM as you want one to be, as stocky as Jurrien of course, but on top of this, I find his passing around the opponents’ box very inspired, technically accurate – an asset which not all DMs have, far from it. Don’t know if we had twins in our first team before, I don’t think so …
    Slot’s boys looked like they didn’t have much left in their tank yesterday …
    COYVillans, this might be your last chance to make it to the top5!!

    “I wanna thank you for making the tapes in an illegal fashion” … cracks me up, every time

  • Kev, what a great idea to exclude the money bag clubs from a new league. Think it may only result in a renewed clamour for the European super league, just blackmail other clubs that the league is somehow inferior for their absence. All in all, if FIFA cannot be sued, maybe a guided provision of similar immunity for domestic league operator.

    Total, I have not really paid attention to his Jurien’s twin brother and will be doing so now, every opportunity.

  • It’s a public holiday today in Canada, thank goodness. It’s been a cold last few days, culminating in a snow storm and strong winds today. A Delta Airlines flight from Minnesota reportedly crashed, landing upside down. No casualties, for now. We hope it stays that way.

    I am also a believer that surely, Liverpool won’t be taking 6 points from their next two games (Villa and a resurgent Man City). Can we take advantage? They could easily be 10 points ahead (should Unai Emery capitulate) by the time we play the hammers. Not a good place to be as West ham won’t make it easy for us.

  • See a few typos/errors in my penultimate post. Device issues. But the point is made and hopefully understood.

  • Three best “solos” I’ve ever heard live were Carlos Alomar going quietly mental on “Stay” during Bowies concert, John McGeoch doing his thing on his Yamaha SG on “The light pours out of me” for Magazine, and best of all, Pete Townsend (in his 70th year) strutting his stuff during a 16 minute rendition of “Pinball Wizard.
    There is a scene in “Once upon a time in Hollywood” where DiCaprio proves himself up there with DeNiro and Pacino as the greatest Italian/American actors.
    But no one mastered the English language like the the immortal PS.
    https://www.facebook.com/reel/8250558405009270

    If you fellows would like a taste of Kiwi humour, “Boy” and “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” capture something of our national spirit.

  • You bet we are, Total. Been indoors, the wife working remotely and children taking heed of warnings to stay indoors.

    PS: Delta air lines flight was from Minneapolis.

    Mikel Merino instantly has a song. Hopefully, that encourages him to keep scoring goals for the run-in.

  • Can’t stop the feeling Stu…

    Champions League makes all the difference Total although the club probably needs an uplift on sponsorship as well but you need silverware for that, so still room for improvement there.

    Should see an uptick on player sales in our next financial report in 2026, but maybe a growth in stadium capacity is the avenue to investigate although how to finance it without impacting on team development is the elephant in da room.

    You can see the route Amorim at United wants to go down with the youth, given the parlous state of United’s finances and the need to spend money of the stadium. We’ve been there and it’s a long long slog.

    Gotta say the new Everton stadium looks great, they’ve just got to pay for it now.

  • It’s really sad TA to see so many of our players suffering unfortunate injuries, it’s almost become symptomatic of the club, be it Eduardo or Diaby or Siggi Jonsson or Tierney or Jesus or Tomiyasu or even Partey, they’ve been robbed of so many matches and we’ve been robbed of watching these guys play for us.

    It always seems to happen to some of our best and favourite players…

  • And Aaron R. too. Victim of another act of thuggery.
    The whole worlds my oyster, Total. 😇
    Ratcliffe’s INEOS have just reneged on a major sponsorship deal with our All Blacks three years into a five year deal leading to our AB’s management suing Ratcliffe. He has also ditched Ben Ainslie from the America’s Cup Team amid great controversy, and is threatening to cut a further 200 jobs at Man Unt. Shaky times in the Petro-chemical industry?

  • Let’s not forget Santi, lads …
    He was at the top of his game when I don’t remember which of the Bulgarian players shattered his Achilles. It was “only” Ludogorets, but the team’s performance that night was a genuine work of art; and Santi was the sun all our other players orbited.
    His conversion as a deep-lying playmaker was as successful as Pirlo’s – that fateful night was the actual end of Arsène’s tenure, imo. He never could find again the like of our diminutive, smiling Asturian, to play the football he had in mind …

  • It will be Dutch courage in the CL for Arsenal next. PSV play the better football and are very strong at home, and Feyenoord are also strong and fearless at home. Either team will certainly give us a match.

  • Total, I may be missing a post or two here, responding to you.
    Liverpool could have easily dropped all 3 points today, but 2 dropped isn’t all bad. Thanks to the Villans, but we also have to get the job done, on our part.

    Man City will be in the doldrums by now, otherwise, I fully expect them to defeat Pool.

    We shall stay humble and hopeful, for now.

  • So, which of both Dutch sides will you prescribe for us (to enable us go further), TA?

    I’d go for Feynoord because from what I saw of PSV, they have fight and some uncanny confidence on the ball. We look forward to the draw.

  • Eris, I found one in spam and restored it.

    Slight preference for Feyenoord but De Kuip (The Tub) is a formidable fortress and the Rotterdammers are proud and fearless. Key will be a strong home game against either of them.

  • I expected Villa to lose so this is a bonus as far as I am concerned.

    Citeh will want to bounce back at home and will give the Scousers a game, I think.

  • Feynoord for me too, TA. And yes, a good first leg and a home win is key.

    Weather was better today. – 11°, feeling like – 15°. The forecast for the rest of the week is same as today, with some flurries.

  • Ah, Santi. Sigh. Yes, LG, two footed, marvellous close control, dribbling skills only matched by Alex Hleb, he smiled past players with a joie de vivre uncommon in the current game. Despite all the trauma from suffering eight operations and gangrene, he came back and still plays competitively. What a role model he could/will be back at Arsenal.
    I watched the Villa game. Liverpool were on top for much of it, but the Villain’s defence self destructed for the first goal and, had Rashford and Morgan a little more composure it would have been a home victory. Though they were humbled in Madrid this morning, I fancy City to take at least a draw at the Etihad this weekend.

  • Apparently one side of the draw is considerably easier than the other so that’s my preference, the easier side of the draw- and take our chances with whomever we get from the Low Countries.

  • I’ve always liked “The Tub” too, TA, one of the perfect football venues. Watching Ajax’s 2nd European triumph over Inter there, by my Pa’s side on the family couch, is a very dear memory, as well as that of Trézéguet scoring the golden goal against Italy in 2000 – with a trademark Pirès assist – of course.
    I watched a lot of Feyenoord the season Reiss was loaned out to them, and I’ve respected Slot ever since. He did a tremendous job taking his side to the final of the Conference League then, and it was under his watch that our boy became a man imo … I’m convinced the atmosphere in the stadium played an important part in this successful European run, I’m actually sure it did against Marseilles, the fans were on fire that night …
    The problem of the “top” side of the draw – the PSV one – is the presence of PSG (a completely different beast from the one we choked off last october), Liverpool, or Barcelona, but most of all of the prospect of a round of 8 against … Real and their reborn Mbappé, alongside the Bellingham-Rodrygo-ViniJr. trio, not to mention Valverde!

  • Yes Legall, it’s a great stadium. A heaving beast of fifty thousand voices. It feels small and intimate and sound has no escape. I watched Roda JC win the Dutch cup there and it was an unforgettable experience.

    I would love to beat Real Madrid. Have always loathed them.

  • Let’s save them for that final Total, although we’ll probably have to overcome the UEFA based favouritism they enjoy to do so, similar to Barcelona in 2006.

  • Well, I can’t say we were lucky.
    The silver lining is we get to see some of my proposed summer reinforcements: (my main man) Veerman for sure, but there is a good chance for Bakayoko to start, and maybe Malik Tillman recovers (I’m not aware of the extent of his injury).

    If we overcome PSV we’ll have a strong quarter final against one of the teams from Madrid. I think Atletico would suit us better.

    To some extent we are lucky as PSV must take the Eredivisie seriously once again as they have thrown away the massive lead from the first half of the season, and the same applied to the Spanish giants. Anyway, we are in for a string of good games. I hope the boys will make us proud. (And the emphasis is on ‘us’.)

  • Tillman has potential, PB. Veerman is hit and miss and Bakayoko plays on the right mainly, and there we have enough talent. I think Saibari is one to look out for. He would be good cover for Odegaard.

  • I’d want to go OGAAT now, but it’s hard not to look at the path we have to the final, IF we beat PSV. Beyond the Madrid sides, we could be looking at Liverpool or a resurgent PSG, IF we overcome the Madrid team we play against. There’s no way the players aren’t feeling the excitement too, if the fans are.

    I just hope whoever sat in the Club’s offices to decide we didn’t need to bring in bodies in the January window, is really pleased with themselves, seeing how Saka’s injury was known before the TW and now Havertz out for the rest of the season. This is the advantage our closest rivals have over us as we approach the business end.

    As a big club, we should not be on a wing and a prayer in a season as this, where we are absolutely expected to fight for the title, after two runners-up showings.

  • Eris, I am just focused on tomorrow’s game. OGAAT indeed for me.

    I think the club really tried to get a CF BUT a deal could not be done for the selected players. I am not in favour of just getting bodies; the risks are too high.

  • TA, I expect that the club would have its targets and have them ranked. To be fair we had a whole month and a bit to try, so I’d rather take it that we just didn’t prepare to bring in players.

    On getting bodies in, I understand the view you expressed but can’t help wondering how risky can Mbuemo and Semenyo be?

  • We can only spend our money once, Eris. Buying a player is a huge risk and investment. The players you mentioned would probably be on a weekly wage of at least £150k. Say they would cost £50m and then add four years wages that’s £80m. But I don’t think the clubs were prepared to let them go mid-season in the first place. Of course, if the club had had foresight that also the physically reliable Kai would get badly injured, they may have forced the issue.

    Whatever we think we don’t know the ins and outs of the club’s dealings, and I trust them to do the right thing.

  • Arsenal: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Partey, Rice, Odegaard, Nwaneri, Trossard, Merino.
    Subs: Neto, White, Tierney, Lewis-Skelly, Zinchenko, Kiwior, Jorginho, Butler-Oyedeji, Sterling.

    West ham: Areola , Scarles, Cresswell, Kilman, Todibo, Wan Bissaka, Alvarez, Ward Prowse, Soucek, Bowen, Kudus

  • Significant decision to drop Sterling to start Merino as the false 9. MLS also rested as Calafiori starts.

    COYG!

  • Lol, @ normal nr9. His midfielder instinct may be useful at times…

    West ham
    Subs: Fabiański (GK), Mavropanos, Emerson, Soler, Rodríguez, Irving, Luis Guilherme, Ferguson, Ings

  • No urgency, no passion, not the slightest touch of madness … Is that how it’s gonna end, “not with a bang but a whimper”?
    As for our skipper, he might have never fully recovered, I don’t know of course, but what I do know is that something’s very wrong with him. There’s a hole where the heart of the team should be beating. We are already short of forwards, and our playmaker is no threat at all.
    I expect more from Rice, too, actually, more runs into the box, more shots. We’re depleted upfront, (much) more has to come from our midfield, even from our defenders in fact … otherwise, we’re doomed.
    I just can’t – don’t want to – believe the season’s gonna end today … Time for a wake-up call, lads!
    COYG

  • Well said, Legal. It’s shocking how laboured we looked, appearing surprised at the set up of the visitors. I know he’s strong on the ball but we made too much of dispossessing Kudus of the ball, such that it started to play in the players’ heads whenever he had the ball.

    To have only Sterling to bring on when we needed to change things was so wrong, fir a title chasing side. This future always has hurt us before, at critical moments of the season; to be honest, I had a sense of foreboding even as I hoped for the best.

    Fair to say we may have made it hard to catch Liverpool now, because the pressure an Arsenal win should have caused them will now become the fillip they need to go beat City at the Etihad, with this result.

  • The bluebird on my shoulder has been eaten by a mangy black dog.
    Potter has done his homework, MLS often turns a player as he attempted to v Kudus, but it should never be done on the half way line as last man. The young fella will learn, but that lesson, and that team performance which lacked the sparkle every bit as much as the dismal first half against Leicester, carries a heavy cost.
    That Black Forest was nigh on impossible to penetrate, Potters tactics making it so hard for our boys. I felt deeply for them, I feel deeply for them. They will be devastated.

  • Graham Potter has a great record at the Emirates and a good record against Arteta so the result didn’t shock me if I’m being perfectly honest.

    Sometimes you do also need a bit of luck, you know a West Ham player getting a touch on Ben White’s cross shot for example and it goes in, but it wasn’t our day and in truth it’s not been our season.

    A lack of shooting is one criticism I’d make, if you want to win the lottery you have to buy a ticket!

  • As for the January Window, I honestly find it hard to believe that we couldn’t have signed a player or two, on loan, just to tied us over until the summer?

  • I understand not signing players just to get players in. What i don’t understand is why we didn’t cancel Viera loan at Porto. He may not be the player we needed at the beginning of the season but he may well have been the answer in January

  • Also if we are going to waste 2 windows then the summer window needs to be 3 windows worth of excitement. No more excuses, no more blaming refs, no more feeling sorry for ourselves. We have a top team and a top manager that is 1 good transfer window away from winning it all

  • TA, Tillman is indeed talented, but Veerman is the ultimate key pass machine. I think whichever club snatches him from Eindhoven will never regret it. As far as Bakayoko is concerned, he had a few games at the left wing, and we are properly stacked at LW, anyway. Unless we sell Trossard, but even so we will have Martinelli and Havertz. (Hell, even Jesus played more at the left wing than the right.) Saka will always be the first choice player on the right, but I’m not sure what is going to happen with Vieira and Nelson, and Nwaneri might not be the obvious backup RW just yet, especially as he used to play AM in the youth setup. However I won’t mind if we keep him as an understudy for both Martin and Bukayo, but in that case we don’t need reinforcement on the wings. Nevertheless I would consider a winger if and only if he is capable of playing on both wings. Like Trincao, Adingra or Gonçalves – assuming that we have no chance to sign Gakpo and Güler – and excluding players that can not only play at both wings but up front and at AM too, so could be our sole marquee signing at the summer, like Kudus, Cunha, Wirtz, Kang-In and Baena.

  • That could be the result of me not watching actual games from the Eredivisie, but mostly preoccupied with statistics. So their is a good chance that Joey would indeed struggle with the tempo of the PL or any of the top 5 leagues.

    Nevertheless he is an insane key pass and assist machine – especially for a defensive midfielder. In fact he has already provided more assist than legends like Makelele, Fernandinho, Busquests, Alonso or Scholes, and even at 26 he is not far behind Schweinsteiger and Fernandinho. I’m positive that he will overtake Pirlo (133) at some point, but even the greatest CM/DM duo of Gerranrd (170) and Lampard (171) are well within his reach.

    Anyway, I think a better manager would help his blossom in the Dutch national team. A Gravenberch (Wieffer) – Veerman (Reijnders) – De Jong (Koopmeiners) midfield trio should scare the bejesus out of every opposition. I would love to see any of them in red and white, but assuming Gravenberch is not moving I would go for Veerman. Still, I hope Partey and Rice will keep a close look on him.

  • The wisest words spoken on this blog in recent months are by Kev: it’s not been our season.
    I think we should be happy with/hope for a top four finish this season. Too many injuries and refereeing nonsense. Teams plays us with a deep block and we just struggle to get behind and through defences without our usual attackers.

    And yes I agree with Le Duc that Martin is not right this season. He gives absolutely everything but is so out of form. Same goes for Declan. Taking this all into account, I think the team has done well until now.

  • You know what Total, Liverpool might have done us a bit of a favour by beating Man City because it keeps them some 9 points behind us and with Forest only being 6 points behind we don’t really want to spiral into a funk (which is possible) and fall out of the top three or four?

    City haven’t got anymore european games to contend with and we know to our cost that even this iteration of City has the capacity to go on a match winning run to the end of the season and finish above us, now wouldn’t that be a slap…

  • That’s what I thought, Kev. Man City, despite spending big in January, are a shadow of themselves, but they will regain momentum. It could go ugly if we lose at Forest, but hopefully the team avoid this. Saka was close to Salahs goals/assists ratio. .. one stayed fit and the other got injured; and how different it all could have been if it had been the other way round. Just not our season.

  • If there was an all time X1 of singers, Roberta would be on the wing. Those two songs, “First time…” and “Killing me…” introduced transcendence to my adolescence.

  • It would seem Man City spent big in order to try to win the UCL, seeing as their hopes for a domestic trophy were all gone. They may come back stronger next season, with all their weapons fit, including Rodri.

    On Salah, that man has a very incredible staying power as he seems never injured. I heard some place that he has only ever missed 10 games for Liverpool, cummulatively, for reason of injury(ies). Amazing. Slot was smart to keep him one more year because this title charge of theirs has been all about his goals and assists.

  • I admire Arteta for his chest thumping press conference today ‘over my dead body’ was his response for a question asking if he is giving up the chase. I’m sure the players have had that drummed into them as well.

    Arteta maybe needs to readdress his tactics vs low block teams because we tend to trip up against them. Even with our major attackers in situ we can struggle (Everton, Fulham etc).

    We as supporters have the luxury of acceptance but the players cannot and the manager has to believe it’s still possible.

    I suspect that some of our players psychologically dropped their intensity following the injury to Havertz, he was after all our last great hope. I mean that disaster coming even during the trip to Dubai failed to give us any respite from the atrocious bad fortune we’ve suffered this season – the comparison to Liverpool is stark, if ignored by the MSM as is their way.

    For me a draw at Forest would be welcome and maybe Forest will go for it opening up the game.
    I’d start with Sterling and bring Merino on as per Leicester. I’d also bring in Ben White, quite a few ‘plastics’ dismissed him when he got injured claiming that Timber was the superior player, sentiments I don’t hear anymore. Ben is a fighter as well as a bloody good footballer and we have missed his influence – and shithousery…

    Total, the ownership have let it slip this season after some encouraging transfer windows. Maybe the distraction, nay obsession with Man City saw them take their eye off of the ball. Trust from the fan base is difficult to obtain for club owners and easy to lose – KSE have taken one step forward and two back this season.

  • Kev, I think it’s more like three forward and one back. We don’t know the ins and outs re the transfer dealings, but we know they have failed to get the right guy this January. That is fair criticism. Still I would not swap our long term situation with any club, even the bin dippers.

  • Well Total, whatever the inside story of our transfer business they’d better get it right this summer.

  • It’s going to be more of an overhaul, than of an adjustment imo.
    At least three lads will pay their respects, or so everybody thinks (Tierney, Sterling, Neto); two more should … for their own sake (Kiwior, Zinchenko); two others will be out for at least half of next season (Tomiyasu, Jesus), one may want to be cash in on Saudi-Qatari money before getting too old for it (Trossard) and, last but not least, two pairs of legs in what may be the most strategically important position, will be getting more and more creaky (Partey, Jorginho), and should be allowed to go and enjoy pressure-free, lucrative career endings, wherever they feel like going.
    That’s … 10 !!, which’d leave us with:
    Raya
    Calafiori-Gabriel-Saliba-Timber-White
    LewisSkelly-Merino-Rice
    Martinelli-Nwaneri-Ødegaard-Saka-Havertz
    … out of Hale End will come Dowman soon, he’s Arsenal’s next big thing no doubt – but he’ll still be 15 only at the start of next season! I think a chance should have been given to Salah-Eddine Oulad M’Hand in midfield, but this is not going to happen.
    Some of our U18s look extremely promising (Porter, Julienne, Nichols, Sweet, Onyekachukwu, Salmon, Copley, Casey, ZecevicJohn, HarrimanAnnous …), but right now that’s what they are: enticing promises, they still have to mature – considerably.
    Hein and Reiss are likely to be brought back home, contrary to Tavares, even though Nuno has become a whole different player, improved in every aspect of the game. So that, at the end of the day, that’d still leave us in need of:
    one backup GK
    two defenders
    two midfielders
    two goalscoring forwards …
    Good luck to Edu’s successor, whoever he will be !!
    As for tomorrow night, I just hope the setup will be unexpected, with a clear priority given to getting a clean sheet which, from now on, should be our obsession …
    COYG

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