FOOTNOTE TO START WITH
As some events turned out differently in my schedule I suddenly was able to see the match and write the match report. But after this report I have to go out again and so we will be out of office from now on.
By Walter Broeckx
A few changes compared to the last match. Koscielny has recovered from his back injury and came in the field in place of Chamgers. Oxlade-Chamberlain started as Özil had a minor knee problem. And up front we had Theo who started and Giroud dropped to the bench.
Aesnal team: Cech, Bellerin, Gabriel, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Ramsey, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Cazorla, Alexis, Walcott
Arsenal subs: Ospina, Debuchy, Gibbs, Chambers, Arteta, Campbell, Giroud.
Sissoko goes in late on Monreal and gets the first yellow card of the match. Deserved and could have been a red for sputting his studs on the ankle of Monreal. Bellerin then with a cross to Walcott but Krul came out just in time to smother the ball and the danger. Ramsey rightfully judged to be offside but Krul saved anyway. Then a clear penalty foul on Bellerin as Thauvin steps on his achilles when Bellerin makes a run in the penalty area but Marinner ignores (as predicted by Untold) the clear foul. A stonewall penalty for Arsenal yet again denied by the referees from the PGMO.
Minutes later Mitrovic puts his studs right on top of the ankle of Coquelin and this time the ref pulls out the right card : a red one. Such kicks can be very dangerous and cause serious injury so that is the only card one can give. Newcastle sure needing a lot of fouls to stop Arsenal and another Newcastle player Mangulu goes in the book for stopping Alexis two times in a short time. Thauvin then comes in late on Coquelin and goes in the book of Marinner. Newcastle surely are trying to get some Arenal players legs broken in this match.
Alexis with a great and hard shot from outside the penalty area and Krul cannot hold on to the ball and Walcott puts the rebound over the goal from a few meters out. That should have been a goal for Arsenal. Still 0-0 after 30 minutes. Arsenal very much in control but the fine passes from Özil surely are missed up to now.
Arsenal press but only after a low cross from Oxlade-Chamberlain they can reach Walcott but his shot goes over. Arsenal really surrounding the Newcastle penalty area for minutes but we cannot open Newcastle up. Still no goals at half time. We should have had a penalty and we should have scored but nothing to show for the dominance on the score board yet.
Immediately Anita goes in the book for his 4th foul as the ref indicated. Cazorla then goes in the book as a pure compensation booking to give the home crowd something and Wijnaldum for his overreaction in the direction of the ref. It’s foul after foul after foul at the start as this is the tactic Newcastle tries to stop Arsenal from playing. But the deadlock still had to be broken. Walcott shot blocked, Ramsey shoots Krul saves but the ball ends up in the feet of the Ox who …. GOAL!!!! ..finally scores that goal that had been coming. 0-1 to the Arsenal after 52 minutes.
Walcott then to Alexis but Krul with a great save to deny a second Arsenal goal. A great combination on the left but the Ox completely miscontrols the cut back from Monreal. Ramsey with ball to Cazorla but his shot went straight at the Newcastle keeper. After 68 minutes Giroud came on for Walcott. He could and should have scored in the first half.
Giroud almost on his own in front of Krul but a defender can clear the ball. First corner with Giroud and Arsenal very dangerous but a defender can save the shot from Alexis at the second post. Another shot from Giroud but Krul can save. And again Krul out of his goal to stop Alexis from scoring. With 10 minutes to go Arteta came on and Oxlade-Chamberlain went off . Cazorla almost with a shooting chance but the ball ran away from him. A free kick from Santi but not too difficult for Krul to stop the effort. A hard shot from Alexis is deviated in a corner. Monreal with the shot but Krul stops.
Collcocini with a late yellow card for another strong tackle on the ankles of Coquelin. And in the final seconds Giroud is alone in front of Krul but Krul came out as the winner and stopped the lob from Giroud.
Arsenal dominated from start to finish even before the senden off. But we didn’t score enough from the chances we got and that is something we have seen before this weekend. If Newcastle want to cry about the sending off then they should first look at the non-given penalty for the clear foul on Bellerin.
Arsenal win 0-1 at Newcastle in order to keep it tight over there as has been the norm over the last seasons. Arsenal now have 7 points from a possible 12. Not what we had hoped for and we certainly had hoped to score a few more goals so far. Still with 2 points missing because of PGMO fouls in the previous matches we should have 9 points on board by now. And that would have taken us level with City. But as things go nothing we can do about mistakes from officials up to now.
Up comes the international break.
We don’t even get stonewall decisions. And the commentary was sickening, savage and Co toned down with about 5 minutes remaining when it was obvious that Newcastle had lost.
A very dominating display from Arsenal, a good win and a very valuable three points.
The main Newcastle tactic seemed to be to kick us, hard and often – fortunately Mariner was reasonably firm with them – apart from missing a very blatant penalty.
While we played well it looks as if we have not yet got into full stride.
We seem to have signed a new player with a difficult to pronounce name – Ow ‘Ngo Al 🙂
He had performed wonders at many clubs earlier in his career!
Very difficult match against a bus parking team employing rough house tactics.
In other news West ham have taken the lead at anfield, will be interesting to see if there’s no controversy there.
It’s clear the team has not yet hit any sort of form.
I will leave my comment here to the positives as the negatives are all known and nothing new.
Monreal : really like his play. Aggressive, quick, smart.
Coquelin : Superb again today and the media are desperately trying to overlook him rather than admitting just how good he is. Maybe the best DM in the league. Has it all.
Gabriel : Looked sharp again when called upon. I think he is going to turn into a top player for us. A little like Koscielny but with one big difference. He is dominant in the air.
Bellerin : seems to be getting better defensively game by game.
Al
Rodgers said a couple of days ago in that arrogant, insulting manner he has, that he was more worried about West Ham than he was about Arsenal. Lets hope that turns out to be true, the annoying little t**t.
jayram, you surely must have noticed how well Ramsey played? He was excellent.
@mick,
seems true atm 😀 referee cant rule that goal offside 😛
Non of our attacking players are playing with any form or confidence it seems, hopefully the international break and the return of the CL will focus the players minds.
Adam from Stoke sent off as was Affelay. We play Stoke next. So no Adam to strangle Alexis… pffeww
@Walter
I would not be surprised if there was an appeal on behalf of the Stoke strangler! 🙂
and coutinho red cards… so many reds today…
Mick,
Yes, Rodgers getting his comeuppance.
Smeagles are one up!
Controversy at anfield; marriner sends Noble off despite that Noble had been fouled, making him lose some control and sliding into his next tackle but still got the ball. Surely there is not going to be another pgmob-assisted point/s for liverpool on the cards?
Anyone got a doctor? Jose is in shock!
Good day indeed
Liverpool thrashed at home.
Chavs lose at home
Great weekend, sporting-wise 🙂
Oh! I forgot Jayram – what happened to your mate Brendon? He spent & spent & lost to State Aid United. He got rodgered well & truly.
Jose might be in more shock if he wakes up beside a horse’s head!
From the BBC website “Jose Mourinho’s SECOND home defeat in 100 league games for Chelsea. Incredible.”
They still somehow manage to find positives in a home defeat for the chavs to the mighty eagles. Shocking.
Is Benteke going to be balotelli mark two? Certainly seems so at this rate.
All we need is toffees & swans to win their games & we can celebrate some good results.
Good summary Walter, and predictions on us not getting a penalty again! At least Marinner was able to correctly card players and call fouls from the beginning of the game which is a good start (even if it is a few years too late).
Wonder what the media response is going to be to Chelsea losing at home CP, who Arsenal beat by the same score away and Liverpool lose to State Aid United by a score worse than Arsenal did!
Menace let’s hope you’re right. Excellent thus far.
@Menace
I detest Rodgers and always have. Not sure what you are dribbling on about lol.
Al, that is a amazing stat. But I’m glad he’s getting beat at home regularly.
Liverpooooo got found out and so did Gazprom!!!
Gunners…!!!! Gunners (excluding AAA)….
Minute 23 of the spuddies match, Kane was put through, should have scored – missed – but was clearly off side. Strangely the flag stayed down. I am not sure which linesman – but it may have been Garratt! (Garratt who faied to see the “hand of Vidic”!)
Technology time?
Great win, not so good performance against 10 men. 1 goal in 4 matches (others OGs).
Everyone is talking about backup for Coq, but i think we need backup for Oezil too. He was sorely missed today.
City flying away 🙁 , hope to see them crash very soon. 🙂
Remember this media needs to talk up either of the big spenders or the traditional northern toss-pots, but, only arsenal have problems!!!
Sky Neville/carrager bullshit their way through peoples hard cash subscriptions with analysis a ten year old would laugh at. The boring one is the hero as Lord fungus was, how many of those called problems that our club/management has put to bed, but never would they credited for, our stadium has possibly been the most difficult battle in the last decade, instead on commending us they hate us for what we’ve achieved, just look at spenders/traditionals they can’t start what we’ve done and showed them!
A strange game. I’ve never seen a referee give so many (deserved) cards to an opposition. As many have noted we were unable to break through the Newcastle line for the most part. IMO, Ramsey stands out as the only player consistently making good runs in the box and it seems that only Özil is able to play the needed killer passes in tight situations. Coquelin seemed to be on the receiving end of some pretty stiff tackles but always got up and plugged onwards. The back 4 were very adept at intercepting passes in the middle third before Newcastle could break. Cech…zzzzzz…nothing to do. A deserved 3 points…we didn’t look like conceding on the break so it was fairly comfortable…after we scored.
@Para
You seem to call the game spot on each week.
Agree with that assessment fully.
Did the Moaning one claim that their loss was another fake score ? Will Roman pacify him by getting him Stones and Progba ?
whatching the tottenham v everton game;
dier with a terrible tackle on cleverly. looks as if cleverly broke his ankle. commentators and half time analists saying it was a fair challenge because he got the ball. which is complete and utter bollocks. walter can you correct me please if im wrong….but my understanding is that getting the ball has little to do with a tackle being fair of foul?
similar to the reaction of mitrovics red. it doesnt matter that no one got hurt, or that there wasnt malicous intent…he went over the ball, over the top and stamped down = red.
dier scissor slide from behind = red….whether or not he got the ball or meant it.
Coquelin had a great game and showed great strength in the face of all the fouling which he was subjected to. I was concerned that he would seek to retaliate and give Marriner the excuse to send him off (instead he had to content himself with a spurious yellow to Santi).
I did notice our players restraining him at one stage, after the umpteenth kicking he received, so credit to all concerned. Disappointing not to score more, but fears of a lucky Newcastle equalizer proved to be unfounded, especially as the last 10 minutes were played almost entirely in their half. When they did try to attack, Gabriel was impeccable.
So August matches are done.
Such poor scoring record. 2 own goals and 1 from OG
In last years opponents shipped total goals in such fixtures:11,8,9,5,8,6 -from 14/15 to 09/10
In the last years Arsenal total lost goals in such fixtures:3,1,3,3,7,4
Arsenal is painful average nowadays, but many top teams are more painful to watch.
The attitude of Newcastle players (as A Wenger also observed) is a result of the rubbish sprouted out by the number one idiot of all times – Neville.
If the foul on Bellerin does not worth being a penalty, I will suggest a review of the laws of the game.
Karma is a bitch, how can Jose Mourinho lose on his 100th home game? I hope the kit man is not in trouble yet. Oh sorry, the guys fixing the goal post shifted it more to the left. Can’t stop laughing .
Up to fifth, which is nice. The attacks on Coquelin were terrible. It’s just a mercy he didn’t get his leg broken. This is the Gary Neville school of football. Congratulations to our team for withstanding it all and getting the three points.
So, Gary, we haven’t got leadership, character and fighting spirit, eh?
Garry Neville (prick) kicked lumps out of Reyes, he can pissed off and drop dead from his high horse.
Lord Fungus ‘s understudy is about as fair as Lance Armstrong cycling ip hill.
Pat – you are quite right. Newcastle as a team seemed to deliberately target Coquelin, probably trying to get him to react in a rash manner and get himself sent off.
Fortunately because Coquelin and the rest of our guys kept their cool this disgraceful master plan failed.
Newcastle have often been a physical team, but today they were very blatant – obviously expecting to get away with it, thankfully they didn’t otherwise we would have suffered injuries. As it was Coquelin & the Ox looked as if they had each picked up a niggle.
Incidentally, the spuds match became quite fiesty – partly due to inept refereeing. The result seemed to be one apparent serious injury, several potential injuries and a lot of deliberate thuggery from both teams.
soglorious
August 29, 2015 at 7:32 pm
Webb was on BT sports commenting on issues & he said it was a penalty but the referee might have been looking at the upperbody & didn’t see the foot foul. To me it was a load of bollocks because people have got sacked for less (never happens in PGMO – jobs for life for the boys).
In fact there are a couple of Chelsea medics enjoying a double or 3 to celebrate the 100th match (loss) of Jose (specialist in dropping bollocks).
Seven home wins only this season in the PL so far, Newcastle set up at home with a back 6 really. Chelsea playing with their usual parked bus strategy, Liverpool struggling as teams are not allowing their huff and puff tactics in the first 20 minutes to work. West Ham cant play against teams at home where they have to try and make the running but can adapt their game to play away against teams who try to attack them. For me so far this season only City and Arsenal have gone into every game trying to win from the outset, if the PL is not carful it will land up with games like the those seen in Italy.
Only Arsenal are required to have a perfect match, anything else will not do. Liverpool were winning through dubious goals and phantom offsides, and it didn’t matter. Utd were picking up points through own goals, and that didn’t matter too. But when it is Arsenal then it is a big deal.
On previous article – before kick off – I wrote this: “apo Armani
August 29, 2015 at 12:14 pm
I feel we will get kicked a-lot today!!!
Hope I am wrong!”
Well I wasn’t wrong…we got kicked to hell!!
The aaa must be at home a-sleep!!!
The boring one and that tit managing lfc must be scratching their heads, a parked bus and lines man failed me.
Al
so very true, if man Shitty won with an og, then it’s the mark of champions!!!
So Liverpoo lost by a bigger margin at home then we did to the same team we lost to on opening day!!!
I want to read all about it in the morning 🙂
AND Chelskie LOST -at home – to the team we bat away 🙂
We must be having a terrible start!!
Watched the game @ 7:30 this morning sitting in Orlando.
And lets not forget the not given clear cut pen!!
apo Armani – put all the robbery behind because there is lots more to come. Its the PGMO. Arsenal play like true footballers should and win with skill & honesty. Arsenal don’t crowd the officials or make anything of the selective vision. Wenger knows it will get us nowhere & only intimidate the cheats.
Arsenal are playing decent football under the circumstances. We will improve despite the attempts to break our limbs.
Big disappointment – Martin Keown criticising our players for not standing up for each other against Newcastle. Hasn’t he noticed if our players react they get penalised doubly?
I’m with Arsene Wenger on this. He was quite right to praise our players for their self control. Unlike Liverpool who completely lost their discipline and lost their game three nil.
As for sticking up for each other, as Petr Cech says, the team atmosphere in our club is fantastic.
Just watched some of MOTD – I note the Stoke strangler is really the Stoke stamper and strangler!
There is a job for the captain when a player is fouled. The problem is if it an Arsenal captain, the PGMO officials pretend to not understand them. There again if they do understand the captain they get intimidated & cause more problems rather than help.
It is the job of the FA to deal with the nasty physical fouls. This FA that wants to improve the game by filling their pockets.
Hearing Ruud Gullit praise Martin Keown’s attack of RvN brought a big smile to my face. It’s not for nothing that I made the iconic moment my avatar. It is one of the most memorable moments of following the club for and by far the most passionate moment for me.
So Keown criticises us for not making more of things and for not sticking up for each other, while not long ago among Neville’s last-but-two (or three? Hard to keep up) articles against us (the ‘precious’ one) he decried our, around 2003, starting to think no one could tackle us, which I thought could only read as complaining to refs and making more of things.
What happens when we do get in peoples faces- Sagna, Diaby, even Gervinho- red,red,red
Meanwhile, apparently Danny mills on the radio coverage said the challenges were barely fouls and we were making a meal of everything.
I’m well used to this hypocritical contradictory bullshit, but it’s pretty sad that Keown, a smart fellow who loves the club, hasn’t been able to figure out that it’s been a no-win situation for us for a very long time : there is no ‘right’ way for us to play it; as in, whatever we do, people will hammer us for it; we do one thing, they’ll say the opposite thing is right; had we done that opposite thing, they’d have said it was wrong.
That’s the dishonesty and crappiness of the shitheads- like Mills and that twisted ex-Goon, Stewart Robson- who make up a good portion of the media.
The main thing Keown should have pointed out today was that there was clearly no interest in the ball in the worst three challenges. That’s what people should have been thinking about.
What does it mean when a team clearly sets out to ignore the ball and target ankles and legs?Isn’t it very different to a bit of extra aggression? Isn’t it something which can only come from an opposition manager?
No acknowledgement was made of the difference between those challenges and genuine attempts for the ball where player thinks he can win it but doesn’t. There’s a fucking huge difference. Keown can’t be unaware of it.
Every one of the horror injuries, and even the near escape for Sanchez last year, fitted that bill : players launching themselves at other players with zero intention of getting the ball. Malicious scummy fouls.
Keown could have helped in some tiny way to reduce the chances of those challenges flying in on us in the coming months.
Sometimes I wish I knew how to do video processing. I would swap a manure player with one of ours in the video of a red card tackle, share it on the net, and watch the people’s reaction. Though I can already guess the outcome.
John L………..there is nothing in the laws that speak to a player winning the ball or not as a principal merit for NOT awarding a foul. Basically, the laws state that a player may tackle an opponent provided he does so in a safe, legal and fair manner. The referee or assistant no longer has to try and judge the intent of the player to play this way. IF the player wins the ball, but does so in a dangerous, violent or unfair manner, then a foul MUST be given, regardless of what the player may or may not have intended or whether he won the ball or not. The action is not inevitably linked with the outcome, so a player playing in a dangerous manner, regardless of whether he does or does not injure his opponent (or a teammate) or wins the ball, must always be punished by a foul, and if guilty of violent conduct or extreme foul play, a caution or ejection (as in Mitrovic’s case today).
Pundits and managers, especially ex-players are usually profoundly ignorant of the laws and their application so don’t rely on them to define what is or is not permitted by the laws. That is anothwer reason Wenger usually avoids commenting or judging on-field officials’ decisions or indecisions as the case may be.
The clue I got before making my comment yesterday before kick -off (‘we are going to get kicked today’), came from McClaren’s pre-match interview on the pitch – where he came out with “we will get in Arsenals face”!!!!
This was a despicable, deliberate plan to kick us as much as possible from the start!
The plan failed for three reasons in my opinion:
1/ They failed to break any legs
2/The cards came out early and so did the red
3/we kept to our game plan and both our passing and possession was spot on!
That Fletcher from BBC Sport and Neville must be very proud of themselves – Clogger IDIOTS!
UP THE GUNNERS!!
The referee managed the game in a way that all games should be managed. The video should be used as a training video for all current and future referees. Biased pricks like Neville made a career out of cowardly physical assaults safe in the knowledge that his manager had the PGMO in his pocket and that as an England player he could do what he wanted as the FA would make up ludicrous excuses to get him off charges ( as per Shearers assault on Neil Lennon). I wouldn’t expect people like him or any of the rest of the Sky panel to judge anything honestly. At the end of the day, Murdoch is paying them to create stories which can be sold for days to come in his “newspapers”.
That is all they are – Rebekah Brooks-like minions who are “only following orders”.
@Menace
August 29, 2015 at 4:59 pm
hahahahahahaha
Jayramfootball
I do try to be objective after realising that to be otherwise is just fooling myself, but i do make mistakes too. 🙂
Al
It is always a boomerang to set a standard like Arsenal did and then fall below it. This is true in all walks of life. 🙂
Pat
We do stick up for one another, but only when we can be sure that the ref does not see it or we can make it subtly and cleanly, trust me. 🙂
omgarsenal said:
“Pundits and managers, especially ex-players are usually profoundly ignorant of the laws and their application so don’t rely on them to define what is or is not permitted by the laws.”
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 So very true. I always(mostly) try to find foreign feeds or turn the sound down, and NEVER watch MOTD anymore since years. It helps me to remain calm. 🙂
On a lighter note:
The U21s upstaged the 1st team against West Ham eh? 🙂
Cant wait for the cup runs to see some of them in action for the 1st team.
//
I wish UK would bring in the reserve teams of PL teams into the Championship league so they get a lot more games against some good opposition. Any one any thoughts on that?
Oh Jayramfootball, i like to watch our matches on Arsenal player later so i can actually see the performances again without the nerves. This seems to help me assess the players better in the next match.
Just an observation…perhaps Walter and omgarsenal expand on what I saw as very positive (for a change) by BBC Sport; having Howard Webb in front of monitors and commenting/analyzing/critiquing the officials decisions as they happened.
How close is that then to video technology??
From the moment any incident happened to the point where it was played back and Webb giving his verdict was only a few seconds.
He responded immediately to pen not given saying it should have been, and more or less confirmed all the cards including the red!
Just watching MOTD now. Can’t believe what Gullit and Keown are saying. “After a bad foul you need to get round the fouling player to make the ref card him.
DId they not watch the game? The referee did his job properly meaning that there was no need to do this. If Arsenal had crowded round the various players who committed bad fouls then the story would have been “Arsenal intimidate referees”.
This is another TV smokescreen. At no point did they commend the referee for his excellent performance (excluding the pen) or condemn McClaren for sending a team out with the express intent of kicking 7 shades out of Arsenal.
Appalling, partial crap from MOTD.
Marriner was not bad, by recent PGMOL standards, and was prepared to issue cards early in the game. (McLaren suggested that that shouldn’t happen, ie committing dangerous fouls should be permited in the first 20 minutes).
However, as well as missing (ignoring) our legitimate penalty claim, he was generally too lenient. The first yellow, for Sissoko, should have been red. As the game went on, he was obviously influenced by the home crowd, when he might well have issued more cards. His yellow card for Santi was an attempt to appease the crowd and was completely unjustified.
Well, that was a day. Liverpool are not the force the media have made them out to be, saw signs of their flaws in the second half at the Emirates. Arsenal took a media battering after losing to Liverpool, I have no doubt the media will prove their impartiality and provide Liverpool the same.
Then, Chelsea……I am sure that, like us, they will improve, but what has happened to the AAAs team and manager of choice? All that pace, power, money spent and all the things Brit pundits love, yet they are where they are.
Apart from a team about to spend 150 mil this summer, seems anything and everything can happen this season…..so far at least.
Three observations
1 As Wenger says, RIP FFP
2/ they got our penalty call wrong, but is this the weekend the PGMOL grew some balls……or just a blip?
3 / the game is losing itself, spent most of yesterday eve in a car, the driver has the phone ins on, it is usually our fans calling for the head of the manager and most of the setup, and having a public breakdown at the same time. Yesterday, they were joined by Liverpool, Chelsea, Spurs, …..and, unbelievably, Southampton fans.
Sorry, meant to say we took a media battering after losing to West Ham…..
Just wait and see – Gazprom will now sign even more players 🙂
Diego Costa and Falcao – BIG strikers, BIG money – EFFECTIVE??
Our guys miss the net and we get hammered by the Media…no mention on the (in)effectiveness of these 2!!
in spite of the win, Wenger’s team were playing against ten men for over 70 minutes, but given the opportunity to fill their boots and win comfortably, rarely threatened Tim Krul’s goal. The winner itself followed two saved shots and required a deflection to go in.
Don’t get me wrong. A win is a win and in isolation, there is no reason to criticize the team for establishing a lead and then controlling the game. However, sometimes you have to look at the bigger picture. It tells us that Walcott is not going to convert enough chances and that Giroud is inconsistent. Arsenal, to challenge credibly, need better.
There was too much of what used to be called ‘fannying around the area’ and not enough taking the bull by the horns and testing the keeper from range with the possibility of someone taking advantage of any rebound. On the rare occasions that Newcastle came forward in any numbers, breaks were wasted with poor passes, or simply by not releasing the ball in time to make the killer pass.
Apo, suspect you are right on Gazprom, but I do wonder if there are problems at the club, hopefully a repeat of Jose and the owner having different expectations on the money available for signings. We know the owner has become more financially conscious, and that he wants to play entertaining football…….so was Pedro really a Jose signing? Also, Jose is not one for developing players, he will see what city are doing and want the same……and the toys will be out if he does not get it. We shall see, they might contradict me and spend 120 mil on Pogba and Stones without selling, they certainly can, but with Jose, it will all end in tears, just a matter of time.
On another note, Coq improves his stats even more after yesterday, how long will it take the AAAs/media to give proper appreciation to this gem. I take the point on backup if he gets injured or suspended, but Wenger looks fully justified in keeping faith with him, he deserves his place. from what I have read, he is a humble, smart student of the game. Once his passing improves, and it will under Wenger, this player could be a world beater. Up against very stiff opposition, but unfortunately, just a matter of time before France recognise that as well.
Why wasn’t Tim Krul man of the match? 🙂 🙂
Yes Mandy, I too sense there is goings on in Gazprom camp!
apo Armani,
Actually, Krul was man of the match on NBCSN.
“rarely threatened Tim Krul’s goal…followed two saved shots”
When one reads that in the same sentence one laughs LOUD…and one asks the writer to watch a full replay to see exactly how many saves Krull HAD to make to keep his net from ruffling 🙂
@Menace
August 29, 2015 at 10:10 pm
Yes I agree!
Florian
Thanks for that 🙂
Florian…please help me; we have Laen who states that we didn’t trouble Krull enough…how does an untroubled keeper get man of the match ?? 🙂 🙂
apo,
You don’t need help. Laen is the one that needs help, either with his mind or with directions to the door 😉
@apo
Man of the match was Coquelin. He was magnificent again. The guy can hold off opponents and shield the ball, pass, tackle, close down, position himself intelligently, and has fast feet and good control. I can’t think of a better DM in Europe right now. He has it all and if he keeps his head he has a great chance of becoming Arsenal captain.
BT Sport gave MOTM to Ramsey though, and it is obvious why they did that. Watching the game I though Ramsey was very poor, giving the ball away time and again. I watched it back and have to say he was not poor as such, more like an average game. Worked hard, did give the ball away more than any other Arsenal player, but also contributed going forward.
He got the MOTM because he was apparently in Ozil’s position. Even though he wasn’t playing in Ozil’s position, The commentary team just had to link their MOTM award to Ozil in some way… The guy doesn’t even play and they talk about him and attack him.
Clockendrider
Spot on. McLaren looked a worrying case of someone who has confused the idea of ‘Arsenal are a different proposition to any team in the land, and it’s a good idea to foul them a lot, because refs will LET YOU go away with it’ with ‘it’s a legitimate tactic to foul Arsenal a lot, and refs AREN’T MEANT to apply the normal rules of the game when you do’
He could have just been dissembling afterwards-i.e he knows the ref did his job properly- but I don’t think so.
I think at this stage it is as I feared, Neville and co have achieved one of their aims, and people have truly lost sight of the fact there aren’t meant to be special rules and allowances for teams who want to foul us.
Check out this from the Guardian : ‘Newcastle had collected seven cards, six yellow and one red, yet the game was distinguished by a lack of gruesome fouls.’
Gruesome is an unusual word to choose when discussing what the standards should be for cards. Unusual and surely wrong. Referees shouldn’t be keeping their cards in their pocket until the fouls become gruesome, and I’ve never seen a suggestion elsewhere that they should.
Worse, I think gruesome fouls actually means more like ‘fouls which can or do cause gruesome injuries’. The implicit suggestion therefore is that it’s ok until you get to that territory. It only becomes really bad once there’s a gruesome injury.
That’s a sickening and crazy line of thinking but I firmly believe the decade long campaign by Neville and co has warped the popular mindset about Arsenal, and only Arsenal, to that extent.
Kick, kick, kick,kick,kick…oh, what a shame, someone has suffered a gruesome injury. A red, I guess, but he never meant it and these horrible accidents happen sometimes.
Hazard has never once been targeted to the extent Coquelin was yesterday. As far as I know, Bardsley’s awful challenge is the only dangerous one he has ever been on the end of. Just before the season there were three or four articles in a week talking about the need to protect Hazard.
Well played Tommy Vermaelen, match winning goal will always wish this player well, if not necessarily his current club.
Florian
Cheers 😉 🙂
Neville seems to have become obsessed with Arsenal/Wenger. His analysis completely ignores the role Coq is playing. His justification, Coq isn’t 6ft 4. But nor was Keane, or Makalele……or Billy Bremner! Must be a strong guy though, every game, someone tries to take him out of the game. Fair play to the ref yesterday for carding them, and getting them early.
@Rich
August 30, 2015 at 10:40 am
Spot on mate!!
@Mandy Dodd
August 30, 2015 at 10:49 am
Had Neville ever noticed that his own team mate (Scholes) was not 6,4? 🙂
@Jayramfootball
August 30, 2015 at 10:39 am
And as Florian points out:
Florian
August 30, 2015 at 10:24 am
“apo Armani,
Actually, Krul was man of the match on NBCSN.”
So clearly he (Krul) had to work for that!!
Np apo. Any time 🙂
Very true Apo. Remember a few remarks from Keane on Neville as both a player, and a pundit, not very complimentary, but guess that is the norm. Also remember Stam using the words ” wringers and busy c**ts” for the Nevilles. Not that everyone has to be popular of course…..
Jayram,
I agree with most of what you say, apart from Ramsey being poor. He was our usual midfield engine, he is at a point where he needs to pay more attention to details like pass and shot accuracy. His movement was very good, he got into positions, had a few runs into the box, and it was only the Newcastle bus that limited the number of opportunities he (and the rest of our team) had. But yes, he has room for improvement in his game, and unfortunately it’s the kind of tiny improvements that take time.
Goals on Sunday – Sky; just spent exactly 1 minute in total analyzing our game; COMPLETE JOKERS !!!!!
Thank you to Walter for writing the commentary after all – Walter that was very kind of you to step in.
Thanks to everyone for keeping untold going while we had everyone away. Loved the comments. You guys are what makes Untold.
jayram/apo
Agree with both of you re motm. How? I felt Rambo was not man, it should have been either Coq or Krul. I rarely go with the pundits’ motm anyway, for the simple reason that they usually have a vested interest behind their selection, rather than what would have gone on in the actual match. I suspect, in addition to the reasons jayram already stated for Ozil always being overlooked for motm, Coq will not get motm simply because it’ll make the likes of the nevilles look stupid to continue to argue that Arsenal need a monster DM. Even in our draw against pool last week he was brilliant in the first half (apart from his solitary intercepted pass that presented pool with a break). By that thinking, I hereby draw a list of people I will say are highly unlikely to ever get motm despite what they do; Ozil, Giroud, Coq, Per…. Sanchez will occasionally get it but he’ll have to work twice as hard more than his usual 120%.
felt Rambo was not man of the match…
Rich @ 12:54 am
Spot on as usual.
1)
“Meanwhile, apparently Danny mills on the radio coverage said the challenges were barely fouls and we were making a meal of everything.”
I know. I watched the first 60 Minutes, then had to set off for work so had to rely on the radio. I thought I was listening to a different game.
Absolutely disgraceful, ignorant, biased, call it what you like, punditry.
2)
“I’m well used to this hypocritical contradictory bullshit, but it’s pretty sad that Keown, a smart fellow who loves the club, hasn’t been able to figure out that it’s been a no-win situation for us for a very long time : there is no ‘right’ way for us to play it; as in, whatever we do, people will hammer us for it; we do one thing, they’ll say the opposite thing is right; had we done that opposite thing, they’d have said it was wrong.”
yep, very disappointing. Even our guys in the media that do still obviously hold great affection for the club just cant seem to see through the fog of Arsenal hatred.
Some other great comments as well, from the usual suspects.
Mclaren’s comments after the match also would confirm the suspicion that he had sent out his team to assault us. Disgraceful!