Arsenal v Southampton; everyone’s injured (as always)

Posted on by Tony Attwood

By Bulldog Drummond

In the good old days, the very good very old days, when a player went down injured on the pitch an old boy (usually a wizened guy who had finished playing 30 years before and who had no medical qualifications whatsoever) would trot onto the pitch carrying a bucket full of iced water and a sponge.

He would meander over to whichever player was lying on the floor complaining, and say, “are you going to get up or what?”

If the answer was “or what” out would come the sponge and it would go into the cold water, at which point the player would leap to his feet and run away to cheers and laughter from the crowd.

The sadist with the bucket would then pass close to the ref, and if the feeling was that the ref had not really been up to the mark thus far, would indicate that next time he might accidentally slosh very cold water over the ref’s boots.  The ref usually improved from then on.

That’s what we need at Arsenal.  More sponges.

Wojciech Szczesny is still out as is Oooooooooospina – although only for another week.  Kieran Gibbs or Nacho Monreal or both or neither could be ok.   Mathieu Debuchy is still out, but close to a return.  A matter of days, or maybe weeks, or maybe months, or …. [stop being silly Captain D.  You are still on probation you know – Tony]

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has a knee injury and is what is these days called “a concern” which means no one has a clue.  Mikel Arteta is still out with a scowl strain.

Theo Walcott, Mesut Ozil and Jack Wilshere have seemingly vanished off the edge of the planet.  Laurent Koscielny is  still feeling discomfort and needs to be managed carefully according the those who know such things.

Southampton on the other hand have one injury: Morgan Schneiderlin.   Makes you think.

Here’s the line up, many of whom will not survive the coming 90 minutes…

Martinez

Chambers, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal

Flamini,

Cazorla, Ramsey

Sanchez, Giroud, Wellbeck

On the beach freezing to death we might have Macey, Rosicky, Campbell, Podolski, Bellerin, Gibbs, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ajayi.

Southampton have let in nine goals, fewer than any other Premier League side, a fact that has been commented on by Mr Wenger several times – particularly in relation to the defensive stability.
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But Arsenal, although beaten in the diddly cup have never lost at home to Southampton in the Premier League – winning 11, drawing four.
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What’s more Southampton have won just two of their last 37 games against Arsenal, drawing 12.
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But the news the journos like to trumpet is that Arsenal have won one of the last five league home games.  Yes one year ago we were top of the league – now there are people wasting money on anti-Wengerian banners.  How time flies.
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However let’s try something more positive.  We have had 70 shots from outside the box this season – more than any other Premier League side this season.  Many of these are from Santi Cazorla – and he is getting better and better match by match.  Time for a 30 yarder into the top left corner from the little fella methinks.
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And above all we shall see a second run out for the Alexis, Giroud, Welbeck forward line which really ought to be more of a mouth watering idea than it was against the Wobbleyous.
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I’ve got my usual 3pm start that is the punishment for all Midlands based supporters – but still, it gives a chance for some jolly chit-chat on the way.
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115 Replies to “Arsenal v Southampton; everyone’s injured (as always)”

  1. 70 shots from outside the box by a team that ‘tries to walk the ball into the net?’ Yet another Arsenal myth disproven by actual statistics…

  4. Vikrat Dogra

    You should know by now my friend that neither the Media or the AAA’s are going to let mere statistics get in the way of a good old session of Arsenal battering now are they !!

  5. What is the injury situation with the two ‘forgotten’ ones, Diaby and Gnabry, does anyone know?

  6. No word Mick since 7th of Nov. when he was supposed to be back with the first team, nothing on Diaby either.

  7. 70 shots than any other team yet Arsenal are still out of top4 by this time Arsenal need to be more consistance.wenger should change his tactics in every game

  10. Probably mistaken, but thought Diaby featured in some of the training pictures yesterday. He played rather well against Southampton in the League Cup, and it would somehow be typical of the manager to see him play this evening. Diaby, that is – not the manager, although some would say that AW is closer to match fitness than AD.

  11. Arsenal has topped the injury table for the last 10 seasons for a reason,arsenal has consistently been short in one position or the other in recent times(started this season with six first team defenders instead of the basic 8).Arsenal can’t win games against any big team anymore, don’t remind me of the bayern win because the task was to qualify for the next round and we fell short as always or beating city because it was just a community shield game. Arsene talks theses days of qualifying for the champions league for 16 consecutive years as if its an achievement on its own,I’ll rather qualify just 2 times in those 16 years and win it once than 16 times winning none.He should actually be ashamed that he has been in a competition that long with nothing to show for it.The years we were hampered by the stadium project was totally understood,but now he said we can compete and we are not competing. So anyone who wants him out has more than enough reasons and is entitled to his opinion. We can’t continue to live in the past because the world is leaving us behind.

  13. I thought Monreal was injured too

    Ben
    If we can’t win it after qualifying 16 times we’re hardly going to win it if we only qualified twice.

  14. I am wishing the best for Arsenal. Unfortunately, I am leaving town before the game starts, so I won’t even get to read commentary in real time.

    I see on the Arsenal website, that Emirates is going to be flowing in Carlsberg for the next 3 years. I wonder if they will try to make Tony some Carlberg Cappuchino? 🙂

    Team News
    Arsenal: Gibbs (ankle – fitness test), Monreal (knee – fitness test), Ospina (thigh), Debuchy (ankle), Szczesny (hip), Arteta (calf), Walcott (groin), Wilshere (ankle), Ozil (knee), Gnabry (knee)

    Ben, I think you are looking for JustTottenhamBlogs.

    COYG!

  16. @Ben,
    I guess Liverpool isn’t a big team anymore since we beat them 2/3 times we played last year.

    @Bulldog,
    Good write up as usual. Someone needs to order some sponges for our physio to use

  20. And what about more sponges on the catering front…..instead of those awful pies that Tony seems to like so much. 😉

  21. People need to understand the difference between ‘competing’ and ‘winning’. Only 3 clubs have won the premier league since Arsenal were champions. Each of them with vastly more resources than us. We DO compete, every year. It’s the nature of sport. Nobody has a devine right to win, being in contention for as long as possible is what we strive for. If that means winning, great. If it means coming second so be it, at least it’s better than virtually everybody else and look forward to the next attempt.
    This ‘winning is all’ mantra is just a ridiculous nonsense that people say but never actually stop to think about what it means. Most clubs in the EPL will not win it ever. They probably will never even be close. Yet their fans enjoy watching and supporting them year after year. We should take a lesson before being critical.
    Allez les Gunners.

  22. Ice cream and catering eh?

    Nicky, it might be too cold today, and I think they are closed on Tuesdays but you can get a seriously serious (as in a genuinely genuine) gelato on the corner of Brownswood Rd and Blackstock Rd. Lovely family, lovely little ice cream shop. Fresh, tasty and highly recommended. Untold flavours, I recommend the hazelnut.
    Might have to find an excuse to wonder past if it’s a vaguely sunny day for the next Saturday home game…

  25. sometimes I wish we had the stats always available so that when our friends pop over (to tell us what we already know of their perspective) we could link them without engaging.Its so boring to read the same old same old carted out every week or daily, to me what’s been so enjoyable about the last couple of days on UA—debates been out and discussion has been in.(imo)
    Please write another article soon Tommie.
    Anyway, COYG!etc

  28. Southampron are on a slide down the table. A good time to meet them, if there ever was one this season!
    Best wishes to the Gunners.

  38. Pretty even game. They should probably have 2 or 3 yellows (fouls from behind and whatnot) but the score is about right.

  39. Fucking commentators man! Nothing but heaps of praise for Southampton all of the first half and nothing but negative comments about Arsenal. Then on top of that Southampton get of corner when it was both a clear offside and a goalkick. Ive no idea how Wanyama doesnt have a yellow card yet. Oh yeah now i remember; Southampton get 4 more tackles per yellow card than the average team.

  40. OMG! Watching the match with the sound off(no commentary) is so much more enjoyable.
    COYG!

  47. Some one please tell them to play simple. Its not looking good. The more this goes on they will loose shape.

  71. that will do nicely! Well done the Gunners! Cheers Alexis!
    COYG! Aha and Amen!

  72. Martinez looks really promising. His footwork and kicking is way ahead of Chesney. Three clean sheets to boot.

  76. lucky all of you didnt hear the moronic russian commentator
    “натужная посредственная победа арсенала”
    i dont know how to translate this bullshit
    but it is look like virus

    not only BT f..ckheads has it

    well done gunners

  77. @Finsbury,
    Re your 6pm, “Brownswood” was the name of my home from birth to marriage.
    Can’t abide nuts with any other food.

  79. I have to pay to hear this BT lot slag us off from start to finish.

    That wanker wright already trying to sell Alexis.

    I wish we could dis that arse wipe from our history.

    I hate the man.

  80. Agree about Martinez, so commanding in his area. Don’t know what his shot stopping is like though, he’s hardly had a shot to save in his three games so far.
    BT seem to think Southampton unlucky not to have got a point. I thought they were lucky not to lose three or four to nil, they were saved from a good beating by their goalkeeper.

  81. спасибо дорогой денис!
    я знаю как перевести этот bullshit but with every attempt loose to much patience.
    all commentators are morons especially those who bullshitting arsenal’s games

  83. Not brilliant, but never the less created enough chances again to win reasonably comfortably, especially once Giroud came on.

    Another clean sheet, so now we’ve moved on from the ‘cant defend’ ‘no tactics’ and back to the ‘one man team’

    Man Utd where lucky to hang on by a goal last night and get nothing like the constant shit we get.

  84. One nil to the Arsenal – great!!

    A hard worked win and a good overall performance.

    It seemed like a match of two parts, a tactical battle for approx 65 – 70 mins with Arsenal trying to attack without leaving themselves open to the dreaded counter. After Giroud came on we started to hold the ball better and started to move with more fluidity and then dominated the game.

    I must comment on Forster – a very very good keeper who had a great match.

    As for Marriner – some strange decisions – as expected!

  85. Not sure what to think. We were definitely on the ascendency before their player took himself off but the previous 80 minutes were tough slogging. The through runs were not there… perhaps because players were hesitant to commit too far forward. We seem to play a free flow style that works extremely well when the players all know each other and each others tendencies unfortunately the injuries have prevented them from playing together. Dunno. You’d think we would score more goals or threaten their goal more. Giroud really made a difference when he was on. He drew 2 players to him when he was in the box and this opened up space for our other players.

  86. Christ apart from the Aston Villa game i dont think there has been one match where ive been comfortable watching it haha.

    Commentator says Arsenal have been really poor in attacking this match, but keeps repeating how excellent the Southampton goalie is playing. C’mon then which one is it?

    Arsenal on a few occasions string together some extremely neat passes and get a decent shot out of it. No mention of this from the commentator, just how excellent the save was.

    Ramsey knocks into Cork, Cork steps back and twists his ankle (the continuous replays of this showed it was through no fault of Ramsey). Later on in the match the commentators say about Cork getting injured because of a hard challenge from Ramsey.

    Arsenal score; commentators now start saying how poor Arsenal are at defending a lead and how often theyve lost from bein ahead.

    Ref awards goalkick to Southampton when it was in fact a corner. Commentator “Luckily the ball has gone out for a goalkick” *5 second pause* “…. From Southamptons perspective”

    Commentators discuss that Koeman has many tactical options that he could/will change about. Discussion then shifts to Wenger after they say how poor Arsenal have been “but as we all know Wenger never changes his tactics”

    For the WHOLE match i had to sit and listen to praise after praise after praise for Southampton. When they occasionally did mention Arsenal it was just to point out some bad statistics or a poor cross/pass/tackle/management.

    FUCK the commentators, seriously. From now on im watching foreign streams only.

  87. How Marriner and his crew missed that hand ball before Alexis’ goal is beyond me.

  88. that is all that arsenal need.
    3 points and time to take a rest
    don’t give a f..k how boys done it.
    arsenal should win Mu 5-1 but rad nose army was lucky

    now it is arsenals turn

  89. We won – we won – we won!

    And we fully deserved it. It doesn’t matter what rubbish the pundits talk. It doesn’t matter if Per Mertesacker says something and the pundit at pitch side immediately says he said something completely different.

    We won and we kept a clean sheet. Third in a row.

    Congratulations to everyone at Arsenal!

  90. OMG, Rio Ferdinand is awful, the whole post match setup is a joke. People pay for this Z grade pantomime?

  93. This win is NOT to be shared with stupid banner holders!! Neither with BT pundits.
    What an end of match! COYG.

  94. Giroud is finally getting the credit that many have denied him for a long time. I absolutely love that guy. He made a remarkable difference in the 15 to 20 minutes he spent on the pitch. For anyone to say that the absence of players like him and Walcott has not cost us is nonsense.

    That was an intense game but how Wanyama could last 76 minutes before getting a card is beyond belief. The timing of yellow cards matter for players like that and had he received one in the 1st 10 minutes as he clearly deserved, this might have been a different game.

    Anyway, kudos to Southampton because they played very well with no bus parking. Respect to them and congrats to my darling Gunners and Gooners everywhere.

    Off to Stoke and may God deliver us from butchery. Come on Arsenal!

  95. @Jammy J

    Im sure one day in the future Arsenal will broadcast pictures direct to the supporters/customer. Take it all out of the hands of Sly sports & BT sprout.

    Logically its the next big step (financially) for all Premier league clubs and it can’t come soon enough for Me.

  96. @Gunz

    I watched with the sound off too. So I could really notice how we attacked and attacked for the last half hour without being distracted. How hard we worked and how well we defended. How good our passing was. And we were playing a good team.

  97. Jammy J,

    “Commentator says Arsenal have been really poor in attacking this match, but keeps repeating how excellent the Southampton goalie is playing. C’mon then which one is it?”

    I was saved from crap like this by my mute button (one of my favourite on the remote 🙂 )

    Common sense and logic will dictate that if a goalkeeper is having an excellent game then the opposing side must be attacking well BUT the members of the yapping class are not known for logical reasoning. Poor over-paid bastards.

  98. Tasos

    One day, but not for a while I’m afraid.

    Man Utd will be the first to do it and they WILL do it, it’s just a matter of when.

    As you say, cant come soon enough.

  99. Alex,

    Thanks for posting that link and I must paste this here:

    David Seaman: “I love Arsene, he is the best thing that has ever happened to Arsenal and the criticism for me is unfair.”

    Now who do you want to believe, a club legend or people like Peter Wood (the Tottenham loving propagandist of Le Groan) and the attention-whores in AST?

  100. Problem with that tactic Bootoomee is that you also loose the sound of the crowd, which i feel with detract from the experience a bit. Probably worth it to not hear those prize-dickhead commentators though haha.

    Re Giroud – Im not sure if anyone saw it, but there was an article in which Hummels named 3 of the hardest strikers hes ever had to play against and Giroud was one of them! Great player and its good to see hes finally getting the recognitioned he deserves.

    Also, was very very impressed with Martinez! Looks extremely comfortable with the ball, excellent in the air and great distribution. IMO he has earned his first team place ahead of our other 2 keepers for the time being.

  101. The report on arsenal.com gives a good idea of how many shots we had. You wouldn’t know it from the pundits.

  102. Good result. I also found the criticisms of our players unfair tonight, sometimes the scoreline doesn’t tell you the whole story. Welbeck could have had two, Giroud two, and Ramsey one were it not for the heroics of their keeper. Those were top top saves, nothing like de gea’s where he hardly moved as all of the shots went straight at him.

    Some curious decisions from mariner again, but luckily for him Wenger left Gibbs on the bench tonight. Anyway, hope we get another 3 points at Stoke and come back with all our players walking. Goodnight fellow AKBs.

  103. Pat

    Last 2 games against Southampton, West Brom and Man utd have produced the following statistics;

    Arsenal

    Total shots 59, on target 22

    Against

    Total shots 26, on target 4…yep just 4

    given a fair wind, a bit of luck and a decent ref, those stats would normally deliver 3 comfortable wins, instead they have gleaned a defeats and 2 very close run wins.

    We are a click away from giving someone a real good spanking.

    Lets hope it’s stoke this weekend. Somehow I doubt it though.

  105. According to Phil Neville and Didi Hamman Southampton were unlucky to lose and we are a one man team.
    Would Marriner have given us the penalty if Sanchez hadn’t scored a second after the blatant handball. My feeling is no he wouldn’t but we will never know.

  109. @ Mick,

    we had a penalty in the last mintutes when it was obvious we were winning but Marriner gave a corner (The Saints player didnt even touch the ball, so no corner if no foul).

    I believe this migth answer your question.

    🙂

  110. Can’t understand all this moaning about BT’s commentary. I watched the game with headphones and what was said by the commentators before, during and after the game didn’t register one iota.. I enjoyed the camera work.

  111. I wasnt watching it through BT Sport. Im not actually sure which channel it was, it didnt seem to have any markings to indicate which one. Just had the PL logo in the bottom right. I can assure you it was absolutely atrocious though! Had me raging throughout the whole match. It was genuinely worse than listening to a England vs Argentina world cup game.

  112. Just heard that diaby is to get a new deal if he regains fitness.What do you wenger lovers think of that.We go on about not being able to compete with chelsea and city financially but we have been wasting 60k per week for the last 5 years on this crock.

  113. It is no wonder large sections of arsenal fans want a change.season after season arsene wheels the excuse out about Diaby being like a new signing only for him to get injured again and being a player short.How many other well run clubs would do this??It also seems from his comments that a couple of youngsters are being looked at in january and one of his famous sayings “we arent close to signing anyone at the moment”.Wouldn’t you think that with the number of defenders we have at the club we would be using our great scouting network to bring in at least a defender and a defensive midfielder with the injury to arteta.Why can everyone from pundits to opposition fans see this but our manager cant??This is why many fans are disgruntled with wenger and want whats best for the club.So what if it upsets some of our players.Everyone should be playing for their place.Competition is healthy for a club ,not a hinderance.
    Please dont delete this comment because it doesn’t praise the manager.I love this club as much as you and i havent offended anyone for it to be deleted.

  114. Nick,
    I never would call an Arsenal player a ‘crock’
    He is an unlucky human being that suffered from a disgusting attack when wearing our shirt.

  115. Walter
    I agree with you on the origional challenge that put him out for all that period.But some people are injury prone and their bodys arent up to the rigours of professional football .That is the truth.I know you have to stick with the player whilst under contract with us,but to offer an extension to that contract seems ludicrous.especially if it stops us signing a replacement

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