Category Archives: Arsenal

Youngsters to get chance against Blackpool

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Arsenal will look to extend their unbeaten run to 13 against Blackpool tonight.

After the 11 game winning run turned into 12 unbeaten at the weekend against Crystal Palace, Unai Emery is expected to ring in the changes.

Against Palace, a few players looked tired. It was a lethargic performance. One which came from 3 games in 7 days, and Arsenal having played a European away barely 60 hours previous.

Arsenal beat Brentford in the previous round of the League Cup with a surprisingly strong team. With Liverpool in the Premier League coming up on Saturday, it is expected that Emery will rotate with his squad, with very few playing against Blackpool who will be in line to start against Liverpool.

Petr Cech will return to the side in replace for Bernd Leno – the German has solidified his position as Arsenal’s number one in recent weeks.

Right back will be interesting. Hector Bellerin is currently struggling with a muscle injury; so it is not expected that Stephan Lichtsteiner will be risked. This could see a return in a first team Arsenal shirt for Carl Jenkinson.

Sokratis will be one of the few to start against both Blackpool and Liverpool; having missed out on the Crystal Palace game.

Alongside him will either be Shkodran Mustafi or Rob Holding. My bet is Holding as I think Emery will go for the experience of Mustafi and Sokratis at the weekend.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles is likely to return to the side at left back following a length lay off. With Nabhco Monreal and Saed Kolasinac still sidelined with niggles, neither will be risks. All 3 would then be in contention for the game against Liverpool.

The League Cup will be the only competition Mohamed Elneny will be given a consistent run out in this season. I expect him to be alongside Matteo Guendouzi in the middle of the park. The teenage Frenchman is likely to make way for the Lucas Torreira / Granit Xhaka partnership on Saturday.

Having found himself out of Emery’s plans in recent weeks, Aaron Ramsey will play as the furthest midfielder forward.

Emile Smith Rowe will play on one flank, continuing his progress in the team.

The other wing position and upfront could depend on who Emery wants to give a chance too.

It is a fight between Joe Willock and Eddie Nketiah, with Danny Welbeck filling the other position. I expect Nketiah to be up top, and Welbeck on the wing.

Keenos

Arsenal fans shameful abuse of Shkodran Mustafi

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Social media is a strange place. A horrid place at times.

People think that because they are online, under a cloak of anonymity, that they can say vile things that they would not say in the real world.

The way some behave is a disgrace; whether it be making threats, abusing women, sexual harassment or just general poor taste and vileness.

Sadly Arsenal Twitter at times is a cesspit of disgusting behaviour.

We often see people tweeting abuse to other users, threatening them, childish name calling. All stuff that they would not do in the real world. The majority of those behaving this way are cowards. You do not see them at The Arsenal. You do not see them in the pubs before and after games.

They are faceless individuals – often foreign fans or children. They think it is big and brave, funny even, to put their hatred up on social media.

After the Leicester catastrophe, Arsenal centre back Shdoran Mustafi, like many players and clubs, tweeted his condolences

Some of the responses are downright disgraceful.

At time when people are morning, and Mustafi is showing his respect to the dead, some so called Arsenal fans are replying to him, abusing him.

Some saying he should not be an Arsenal player, begging him to leave the club. Others going as far as saying they wish he was on the helicopter, wish he was dead.

Arsenal used to be a club of class. Remember who you are and what you represent. Sadly it seems the globalisation of football and rise of social media has meant that we have attracted some disgraceful individuals who have no class. They are simply not Arsenal.

We wonder why there is a disconnection between players and fans.

Gone are the days when players would walk into a pub in Islington after the game. Socialise with fans. These days they are in and out of the car park of the Emirates, trying to avoid meeting fans for fear of the abuse they would get.

At the end of the 89 DVD, the final story is about how the players all bundled into a pub in London, and how they were treated like kings.

I know players have changed, they no longer drink as much as they did during the Tuesday Club days, but they would not go into a pub, bar or restaurant due to the abuse.

They could win the Premier League and you would get a bellend having a go at Aaron Ramsey or Mesut Ozil. Probably with a camera in their hand so that they can record their “banter” and become Twitter famous for 2 minutes.

The abuse of Mustafi  in reply to his condolences tweet about Leicester is shameful. Those replying should be named and shamed.

Sadly they are faceless idiots. Going through the tweets, many are from foreign lands. Kenya, Nigeria, America.

These people are not Arsenal. They are just a load of people who like the club and think it’s funny to abuse a player paying his respects. The Arsenal has class these cling ons who think they have a affiliation with the club lack what The Arsenal is all about.

Keenos

11 game winning run turns into 12 unbeaten

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Lethargic is probably the best word to use to describe Arsenal’s performance on Sunday.

We looked tired, off the pace. We looked like a team who had played Monday, Thursday and then Sunday. A side that had played a European away just 60 hours before the kick-off in South London.

Having won 11 in a row, fans left the ground with a feeling of frustration and annoyance that we did not make it 12 in a row. It was a natural feeling after Arsenal were 1 up with just 10 to play. But having seen the side lose 11 away games last season, the disappointment in a draw just highlights how optimistic fans have become under Unai Emery.

It was a very sloppy display by Arsenal, and in days gone past we would not have even come away from Selhurst Park with a point.

The first half was typical of a lot of first halves under Emery.

The one criticism that you would put against the Spaniards time at the club so how poor we are in the first half. The statistics are quite startling:

There are two schools of fault.

The first is to praise Emery for changing things, and turning tough positions into victory – something we were not doing last season. The second is to justifiably question why we have led a Premier League game at half time yet.

Slow starts will eventually catch up with you, and instead of finding yourself drawing (or 1 down) at half-time, you will find yourself 2 or 3 down, the game gone before any changes can be made.

Despite this criticism, there is clear progress at Arsenal.

A few media bods have jumped on a 2-2 draw away to Palace to shout “Arsenal were never quite as good as those wins suggested” Almost celebrating Arsenal slipping up as they are aware that negativity about the club creates the hits – a successful Arsenal team does not make for good advertising revenue.

The reality is, Arsenal fans – and the management- knew things were not perfect. No one attempted to paint us as being flawless. We all know a time would come where the winning run came to an end. And that happened at Palace.

The criticism the club has had over the last 24 hours for the draw is a bit OTT. It is almost like journalists have taken out 3 months of frustration that we were winning.

Instead of being on a 11 game winning run, we are now on a 12 game unbeaten run – the longest current unbeaten run in English football.

We sit in 4 place after 10 games.

When Emery took over from Arsene Wenger, we all would have agreed that 4th after 10 games; 4 points off top would be a successful start to the new era.

We are on the coat tails of the title race and have one foot in the knock out stages of the Europa League.

The press will try and paint things differently to what they are. They will attempt to knock us off our perch. To present us in a negative light.

No Arsenal fan expects the club to win the league this season. our title challenge will depend more on if Manchester City run away with it again. What we expect is for us to be in the race for 2nd or 3rd. A top 4 finish will be a good season.

We will drop points, home and away, throughout the season. But so will Tottenham (lost to Watford) and so will Chelsea (drew with West Ham). Man City have drawn against Wolves this season – highlighting that no side is perfect.

A draw away to Crystal Palace is not a bad result.

Arsenal will look to continue their unbeaten run against Blackpool on Wednesday.

Hopefully Emery looks at the Palace game and understands that some players were jaded. with a huge game against Liverpool coming up on Saturday, anyone in line to make the starting XI should not be involved in the League Cup.

On a final note, we at She Wore would like to send our deepest condolences to the families, friends and those connected to Leicester City Football Club and the Srivaddhanaprabha family.

Keenos