By Bulldog Drummond
Our last game in the Europa was disappointing to say the least leaving the table looking like this
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 10 |
| 2 | Standard Liege | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 7 | -2 | 6 |
| 3 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | -2 | 6 |
| 4 | Vitoria Guimaraes | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 | -4 | 1 |
Standard Liege and Eintracht Frankfurt each have to play Vitoria Guimaraes once and that should give them nine points. If both of the also beat Arsenal, they will both qualify and Arsenal will be out. A win for Arsenal in either game will give Arsenal a place in the knock outs. A win and a draw makes us the top club.
And although it would hardly be satisfactory a win should be enough for us to win the group as Standard Liege will have at least 12 goals to make up through these two games thus with them needing to beat both ourselves at Vitoria Guimaraes 6-0.
Here are Eintracht’s recent games…
| Date | Comp. | Home team | Score | Away team |
| 30/10/2019 | Cup | St. Pauli | 1 – 2 | Eintracht Frankfurt |
| 02/11/2019 | League | Eintracht Frankfurt | 5 – 1 | Bayern Munich |
| 07/11/2019 | Europa | Standard Liège | 2 – 1 | Eintracht Frankfurt |
| 10/11/2019 | League | Freiburg | 1 – 0 | Eintracht Frankfurt |
| 23/11/2019 | League | Eintracht Frankfurt | 0 – 2 | Wolfsburg |
Of course the stand out result is Eintracht Frankfurt 5 Bayern Munich 1 – a result partially explained by the fact that Jerome Boateng was sent-off after nine minutes for bringing down Paciencia following a swift Frankfurt counter attack.
Despite this event Bayern still had 61% possession, and following Lewandowski’s goal to bring it back to 2-1 it looked like they might get a draw.
But Bayern tired and only Manuel Neuer kept the score down to six.
Now we might have thought that Frankfurt could have built on this but as the table above shows it has been downhill all the way. This leaves them stuck in mid-stream with three defeats and two wins in the last five.
* Who is the most unpopular man on the Borussia Mönchengladbach terraces? Why the man who shouts, “Give us a B…” of course.
Anyway recent results mean the Europa has become a lot more important for both the remaining clubs we play.
Curiously we have only ever played Frankfurt once, and that was this season in this competition. We’ve never ever played them before that.
Moving on, in terms of injury we have four concerns. Here is what physioroom makes of it all…
| Player | Details | Potential Return | Condition | Status |
| Dani Ceballos | Aiming to return to full training mid-December. | 21/12/2019 | None | Ruled Out |
| Sead Kolasinac | Returned from international duty with tight left hamstring. Being assessed ahead of Saturday’s match. | 28/11/2019 | None | 50% |
| Rob Holding | Knee Injury | 28/11/2019 | Currently Being Assessed | 50% |
| Bukayo Saka | Knee Injury | No Return Date | Currently Being Assessed | Ruled Out |
This is the team that we put out last time in the Europa…
| Player |
Time |
| Mattéo Guendouzi for Dani Ceballos | 54 minutes |
| Alexandre Lacazette for Bukayo Saka | 65 minutes |
| Lucas Torreira for Joe Willock | 78 minutes |
We shall, of course, see, as indeed we shall see just how efficient the Arsenal ticket sales ban has been.
Mr Emery said of Xhaka, “He’s in the group and has the possibility to play… I hope every supporter supports the team. Xhaka’s comeback is going to be important to us.”
Shkodran Mustafi also spoke in the press conference saying, We play for the club. If you play for Arsenal, you play for a big club and you have to know you have to give everything to win. We play for each other because we are a team; the boys in the dressing room and the coaching staff are all in the same boat. If the coach is under pressure, the players are too.”
I wrote this on facebook sunday
An open letter to the Arsenal Board & ALL Arsenal fans
Having supported this club since 1967, (my first game was the 4-0 thrashing of the spuds from down the road), through the 80s when I was working in Germany travelling back for EVERY home game, had the honor of working for the club as a response steward for the first 10years at the Emirates cumulating in meeting my wife to be there & getting married in the Diamond club,and being a season ticket holder for most of that time, I feel I can comment on whats happening with this great club.
Over the past few years there has been a gradual decline in the standards that we all know the club has been famous for. The chase has been the money and publicity, from the board down to the players, even to the fans (AFTV take note), chasing every last shiny pound or bit of publicity that they can get from anyone. It used to be a honour to be associated with the club, now, if you mention to a stranger that you support them, you get a quizzical look & laughed at, I for one don’t like it & nor should you !
I accept everyone (including me) have an opinion, but when you start airing those opinions in public, there is only one outcome, destabilisation, unhappiness, internal war & that’s where we are right now. I have witnessed friends & even families having a punch up,(during my time as a steward I had to break up a few) because of whats going on, & I am totally ashamed !
Why is this happening? Well I have my thoughts
1) The board –
a. lack of involvement of senior members of the board who are supposed to uphold the clubs values.
b. No true direction, as long as the money comes in, they don’t appear to care (I remember the quote from the board “the revenues that the new stadium will bring in will allow us to compete with the best in Europe”
2) The Manager
a. Still cannot speak fluent English
b. Doesn’t know what formation he wants
c. Doesn’t use the talent he has available in their CORRECT positions
d. Cannot seem to get his ideas across to the players
e. Has lost the fan base
f. Is starting to lose the dressing room
3) The players
a. Are fed up with constant change
b. Are not happy
4) AFTV
a. They don’t speak for all so why do they get so much publicity
b. Evrything from them is just a poison drip of vitriol of abuse towards the club
5) Us the fans
a. Are fed up
b. Cannot see any progress
c. Are in fighting
Where do we go from here? Well, the obvious thing would be change the manager & replace him with who?
1) POCH – I for one would have him
2) Nagglesmann – or him
3) Erik ten Hag – would be my choice
Are we liable to get either? I doubt it, we are more likely to end up with Sam Allardyce (no offense intended Sam). Would it change things? Possibly, but the whole attitude for EVERYONE from the board, to the players, to the staff, to the fans, need to change.
We need to be more positive !!!!
Get people in at all levels inside the club who:
1) Know the values of the club
2) Are prepared to invest
3) Have personality, not just yes men (or women)
And outside the club, us the fans…… GET BEHIND THE TEAM, stop the infighting, the Anti everything Arsenal (AFTV again take note).
We have had to put up with the temporary resurgence of that lot down the seven sisters road, with their new stadium etc. but (for) now they are languishing below us. They have taken steps to change things around, we should be doing the same NOW, not just the Manager, but EVERYONE, fans players EVERYONE
Because if we don’t…. well I will leave that up to you to think about
We had enough of Emery this time he must pay the price no excuse eny more even if he beats them 100 goals to zero he has to watch the game with his faithfuls.
OT,
It is being touted that AFC is thinking of replacing Unai Emery with the coach from Wolverhampton Wanderers (Wolves) – I hope they are just flying a kite to see if it would fly with supporters. Whoever in AFC is thinking that thought or is flying the kite should just perish it without further ado. If the Wolves man was that good why was he not in contention the first time around when Arsene was being replaced?
Why should AFC even get into this managerial merry-go-round? Fans are a very difficult lot to please and you certainly can’t please all of them at the same time. We have a contract with Unai for at least 2 years with only about 5 months left for it to run its course. The boys deserve all our support at this moment not sniping and put downs from all and sundry, certainly being urged on by those who never wished AFC well!
We tend to get all too emotional when it comes to football. For one brief period let us suspend judgment on AFC’s season thus far, refuse to change the coaching team mid-season, and do a thorough reappraisal at the end of season and take better informed decisions on the team as a whole. We shouldn’t also allow ourselves to be stampeded into dumping Unai now because some players are refusing to renew their contracts.
Player-power is with us now but we should also understand that they would offer their services to the highest bidder no matter what we fans think. Loyalty is not the forte of many of them (Van-Persie didn’t think twice before jumping ship to Man U in spite of all Arsene and the Club did to keep him). This certainly can happen again and I won’t lose my sleep over it.
Let Unai stay, at least for now, and NO to the man from Wolves as a replacement now or ever afterwards.
So is Bobome implying that coaches are any different to players when it comes to loyalty..
it is always about performance. Emery should have been dumped end of last season. he is junk.
I think crispen should have been dropped at the beginning of last season.
—
According to UEFA:
XI: Martinez, Tierney, Sokratis, Aubameyang, Mustafi, Chambers, Luiz, Willock, Martinelli, Saka
Beach: Leno, Lacazettem Ozil, Torreira, Pepe, Nelson, Guendouzi
COYG!
Oops, stick Xhaka between Willok and Martinelli.
COYG!
@Crispen,
I do not imply that there are no disloyal coaches. I spoke about footballers and their agents antics going about hawking their services to the highest bidder. Let us even concede that coaches are also disloyal is that sufficient reason for their employers to descend to that level? AFC shouldn’t be one of such.
@Gord,
Yes, I agree with you to drop all fans who ask for AFC to act without thought for the long term consequences of dropping who shouldn’t.
Arsenal 1: 0 up just before halftime COYG!!
It takes 6m in order for the first comment to come in? Luiz hurt?
How to go Aubemeyang! Good work Martinelli!
8:5 shots to 1:0, which is better.
Nominally the same possession and passing accuracy for both clubs.
Cards and fouls are 1:5 versus 1:7, nominally the same.
COYG!
Drat, Frankfurt tie it up.
COYG!
Drat, Frankfurt score again. Gunners we need some more goals.
COYG!
Not good at all, I believe this is the end of UE at Arsenal.
If we lose 5-0 at Standard we are out of the EL. I will be there with some 28 Arsenal Belgium supporters so there is still a bit of hope….
Double drat at that! So we lost. Keep the faith Gooners!! COYG!
Make sure you are there Walter!
This is worse than Terry Neill in 1983 he was sacked.And Emery thought we played well.He’s useless
Sad to see a human being on the end of the grief Emery is getting. But this has not worked out.
That is surely the end for the manager, but problems at this club go higher than Emery
Hopeless. No fans. No style. Bereft of ideas. A fairly strong team. How did Frankfurt get all those fans in at club level. Someone in the ticketing department is getting fired along with Mr Emery. Shocking. Four centre halves. He is clueless. Anyone that can defend that performance needs to be taking some good drugs. You just cannot defend that second half performance. The players were not interested. We will still qualify barring a 5-0 defeat in Belgium. Bring in somebody with a brain who can motivate these players as Emery has lost the plot. Tactically inept. The players are scared. Every chance they turn back or stop until players are in their “correct” positions. You have to be there to see it. This is not Arsenal football club. It is now beyond a joke. D day has arrived. Adios Senor Emery.
I’ve always supported the club no matter what, even thinking back in the day how harsh Bruce Rioch was treated and attended pro Wenger marches. I also agree we have an incredibly ungrateful fanbase at times.
But something isn’t right. UE doesn’t appear to understand his players or know how to get the best out of them. Sometimes, someone just isn’t suitable to a situation. Happens to most people at some time in their life.
I share the disappointment at the result and some aspects of the performance. However, I am disgusted by “supporters” who come prepared with banners calling for the dismissal of the manager.
What do they think they can achieve by fuelling the anti-Arsenal media prejudice?
What positive contribution do they think they are making to the team’s next fixture?
@john L
I’m with you. What I saw last night was a team totally bereft of confidence. We have good players but why on earth people think they can play with confidence when the”fans” behave so abominably is beyond me. We know the media will try and destabilise the club even when we don’t have problems but these idiots play into the hands of the media. These aren’t loyal fans, they’re idiots who will help to destroy the club and then walk away. I despise them.
No, of course I’m not happy with the performances or the results but how the hell do people think booing will improve anything. Short-sighted doesn’t even begin to explain it. But hey ho, I’m sure it’s just me who’s got it wrong after all I know I don’t have the qualifications, skills or experience to run a football club whilst those that boo and deride the players and the manager all know for certain that they could do the job……….
Sadly it is how things have been for some time. See also Wenger out.
I think that Emery is not suitable or of the standard required but would never carry banners or hurl abuse at him.
Well the banners must be proud. They have screwed Arsenals coach and his team. The issues are yet to be seen as there is bound to be some fallout from those that love the club & not just chase glory.
100 years and we’ve come to this!!!
What a crying shame.