Tag Archives: Chelsea

Wenger the Talent Extractor, AC Milan, Chelsea Fans

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Wenger the Talent Extractor

Over the years, I have been more than happy to criticise Arsene Wenger when he gets things wrong. And it happens a lot. I am more than happy to point out his lack of plan B, his predictable substitutions, and his failures in the transfer market.

But one thing I will not call him is a “talent extractor”. It is just BS.

You only have to look at the amount of players that have come to Arsenal, and improved under Wenger. And the amount who have then left Arsenal ,and not gone on to be any better.

Whilst the likes of Gael Clichy, Ashley Cole, Kolo Toure, Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri might have won trophies elsewhere, they did not improve as players.

As Arsenal fans, we often expect too much. Not every Yaya Sanogo can be turned into a Thierry Henry.

I always laugh at people moaning about Andrei Arshavin. He is the player that many fans complain about the most. But these people base their view on little knowledge. Arshavin, in Russia, was always inconsistent. Capable of doing brilliant, game winning things, before disappearing for weeks on end. It is his incoistency that saw him struggle to become a regular for Russia in the early days.

Arshavin was excellent for Arsenal in his first 2 and a half years. 25 goals, 30 assists, but some have re-written history.

And we see the same with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

People are pretending that he was absolutely awful every single game for Arsenal. And since moving to Liverpool, he has been brilliant, every single game.

The reality is somewhat different.

At Arsenal, he would have a couple of good games, showing the raw talent he clearly has. Getting people excited that he might have finally broken through the glass wall. But then he would go missing for a month. Not being able to play a pass. Not contributing anything.

Then he would have another couple of good games. It is his consistency which has made him so frustrating.

At Liverpool, he is no different. He has had the odd good game, but has had a lot of rubbish in between.

The big difference is we no longer have to watch the poor performances, or get frustrated by them, so they kind of disappear from memory. Meanwhile his odd good performance is repeated on Match of the Day and Sky Sport and fools you into thinking he has been playing like that every week.

So I had a look at some statistics:

Make your own conclusions.

AC Milan

We are 2-0 up after the away leg. A solid base to start from, but Arsenal must not rest on their laurels tonight and become complacent.

Whilst AC Milan are certainly not the side of yesteryear, we still need to take them seriously.

If we go in to start the game how we did against Östersund, AC Milan could find themselves back in the game quicker than it takes me to find a stream to watch out on.

Do not forget that this Arsenal side has lost to the likes of Östersund, Nottingham Forest, Tottenham, Brighton & Hove Albion, Bournemouth and Swansea this calendar year. Small, weak sides that we should have rolled over with ease.

Tonight we need to take the game seriously, get an early goal, get the job done, and look forward to the Quarter Finals.

Chelsea Fans

Absolute disgraceful scenes in Barcelona last night involving Chelsea fans.

https://twitter.com/Jennifer160301/status/974085552558440449

https://twitter.com/TNawsr/status/974066765813645313

All football disagreements aside, the way English football fans are treated abroad is sickening. We are walking targets for the police. In previous years, I have been at Roma, AC Milan and was in Lille for Wales v England.

At each game English fans were targets to be attacked by the police. An over aggressive police who would be quick to use batons and tear gas.

Whilst when other fans come into the UK, they get the run of the streets, as we saw with Cologne, English fans abroad are attacked.

What is most worrying about the incident in Barcelona is it is stewards using batons and attacking fans, not the police. How is this right? How does UEFA allow this?

A similar thing happened with Arsenal fans in 2016. And that bridge you have to walk over is dangerous. On the other side is just two turnstiles.

So at one end of the bridge you have stewards physically forcing people onto and over it, and on the other side, you have no where to go. It is an accident waiting to happen.

Earlier this season, Liverpool fans were attacked by the police in Sevilla.

English fans were banned in the 80s for their behaviour, and justifiably so. But it is now 33 years since the Heysel disaster. Things have changed.

The fact UEFA remain so silent on the issue indicates that they condone it. That they accept English fans – same young teenagers and children – being attacked by police and stewards up and down the country.

I do not expect UEFA to act, just like they have not acted when English fans have been stabbed (and killed) in the likes of Turkey and Italy.

Attacking English fans seems to be acceptable. It is not.

Keenos

10 Reasons Arsenal we will beat Chelsea + Starting XI

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  1. Chelsea have beaten Arsenal just once in 8 games
  2. In that time they have lost the FA Cup Final and Community Shield
  3. With Alvaro Morata injured, and failed bids for Andy Carroll and Peter Crouch, Chelsea have no decent strikers available
  4. Cesc Fabregas is also out. He has slithered into the jungle
  5. With Arsenal having no FA Cup game this weekend, Wenger has not reason NOT to play the strongest XI
  6. Arsenal are 9/5 to win To place a free bet without a deposit on this game on Arsenal
  7. With 9 trips to Wembley in 4 years (without needing to hire it), Arsenal will be motivated to make it a magical 10
  8. Chelsea have won just 1 of their last 6 games in all competitions
  9. Arsenal have the advantage going into the tie, having drawn 0-0 at Stamford Bridge
  10. With Sanchez gone and Mkhitaryan in, Arsenal feel refreshed

Expected line-up:

Ospina

Chambers Mustafi Holding

Bellerin Elneny Xhaka Kolasinac

Ozil Wilshere

Lacazette

Result:  So everytime I write one of the e, I get abuse. “Here he go’s again” many people write. Sometimes I get it wrong, such as the Nottingham Forest game, but often I get them right.

And once more, Arsenal beat Chelsea, taking it to just 1 defeat in 9 games against the West London outfit.

I have read some pundits saying Arsenal were “lucky” and “did not deserve to make the final”. Well over 2 legs, we scored twice, Chelsea once.

Our goals might have had some luck in them, Nacho Monreal’s pinball first and the deflection from Alexandre Lacazette’s pass for Granit Xhaka’s second, but as long as they hit the back of the net, they all count.

It is not like suddenly we can pick and choose what goals to count depending on whether there was a bit of luck in them.

Imagine the scenario: A goal is scored, the referee go’s to VAR to see if it was a valid goal. Any sign of luck and the goal is disallowed. What a load of rubbish.

So Arsenal are off to Wembley for the 10th time in  5 years, and we have not had to hire it!

Up the Arsenal.

Chelsea Result, Refereeing Standard, Fabregas v Gibbs & Marcus Alonso

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Chelsea Result

2-2 was a fair result.

Both sides had their chances.

Both sides showed why they are so far behind Manchester City.

Personally I was non-pulsed about the result.

Some will say that the draw will mean that if Spurs win tonight, we are cut adrift in the race for the top 4 – 5 points behind Liverpool in 4th and 4 points behind Spurs in 5th, but I honestly do not care about top 4.

I would rather win trophies, then finish top 4 and celebrate the mythical Top 4 trophy.

Previously I have discussed about how opinions changed. From 2006 – 2013, Arsenal were heavily criticised for finishing top 4 but not winning trophies. Now we are criticised for winning trophies and not finishing top 4.

I would happily finish in 6th place if it means more silverware.

As I explained last night to a few people, in 1993, does anyone care that we finished 10th? Was it deemded an unsuccessful season for George Graham, finishing mid table but winning 2 trophies?

No it was not. So why now would it be seen as a failure if we finish 6th and win some silverware.

Ultimately football is about winning trophies.

It is more important to win the League Cup then finish 2nd in the league.

Refereeing Standard

Arsene Wenger has been charged by the FA for daring to criticise the decision of Mike Dean to award a non-existent penalty. It shows how arrogant the FA are that the man who gave an opinion that everyone agrees with is charged, whilst the man who made the mistake gets no punishment.

This season we have had a lot of decisions go against us.

The twitter above estimates that the decisions that have gone against us have cost 15 points. Last night was another game when a non-existent penalty was given, causing us to concede and equaliser.

When you look at Spurs, their offside goals, the dodgy penalties, the players making leg breaking challenges, not being sent off and then not having retrospective action against them, you can’t help but start to believe the conspiracy theories.

It might not be deliberate, but in the subconscious of referees, they see Spurs as the good guys of English football, the saviours, whilst we are the opposite.

I am not a fan of VAR. But as more and more obvious decisions go against us, I being leaning towards it.

It is an undeniable fact that refereeing decisions have cost us points this season. And Wenger is charged for pointing out the poor decisions.

Fabregas v Gibbs

2 days ago, I wrote a blog about how I was booing Kieran Gibbs. Just for a bit of a laugh, and for that blog I got hammered for – which was probably also justifiable.

I also note the lady in question who I was winding up also tweeted. Interesting how quick she went from people infront of me were booing to no one was booing infront of me. Cowardness.

Just to clarify a point, some people decided to pick up on a single point of that blog, that I was saying if you are not from Islington, you are not a real fan. Clearly I was not saying this, and it just shows that there are some people out their with an agenda against me who decided to twist what I was saying to just criticise.

Also interesting was a lad from Australia who said my blog was racist. Odd little blog, probably never been to a game, you are the fan I despise. Why not support a team in Melbourne? A local team. Back them?

Anyway, I digressed a little. Sorry about that.

Yesterday fans cheered and clapped Cesc Fabregas.

So I get criticised for booing a former player, and probably some of them same fans then cheers Fabregas.

Yes, Cesc was a former player, and former captain – and the best young player I have watched – but he turned into a petulant little twat who refused to play for us and decided to go to the Spanish Grand Prix rather than have the decency to turn up to the last game of the season and thank the fans for their support.

He does not deserve our applause. A club with fans with more balls would have booed his every touch. But our newer fan base, the middle class happy clappy post-Euro 96 fans simply have no idea.

If you applauded Fabregas yesterday, you are a bit of a mug.

Marcus Alonso

No amount of goals will make up for the fact that you killed a girl going 70 mph in a 30mph zone whilst drunk.

Scumbag.

Keenos