Tag Archives: She Wore A Yellow Ribbon

Gardening, Gigs and Boxing

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We go into this weekend without any football. There is also no mid-week football and no football next weekend.

It is 17 days until our next game – Newcastle at home on a Monday night. So there really will not be too much to talk about over the next 2 weeks. Therefore some of you might be delighted to know that I will take a short break from blogging.

I will only come out of hibernation if something worth writing about happens, but I have always thought there is no point blogging for the sake of it. These people that write about them opening a box with an Arsenal shirt in it. It is content for contents sake. Just after a few more pennies.

Firstly we have an FA Cup weekend and that is followed by an international break.

So what are my plans for the next three weekends?

Plenty of gardening.

My grass needs a cut (have not yet cut it this year), hanging baskets need creating, a fence needs repairing, a fox killing and the decking needs a hose down and sweep. Hopefully the weather brightens ups and over the next 2 weekends I can get the garden in order for the summer.

I am also off to the Copper Box to watch the Charlie Edwards fight and will see Gerry Cinnamon at the Forum in Kentish Town.

The break probably comes at a bit of a bad time for Arsenal.

Unbeaten in the last 5 league games – with 5 wins and a draw – Arsenal have turned a 10 point deficit against Tottenham into a 1 point deficit. It would have been a 2 point lead if Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had not missed that last minute penalty. But let’s not dwell on the past.

It is not just Arsenal’s good form but also Tottenham’s poor form that makes this mid-season break frustrating.

Tottenham are now 4 games without a win – losing 3 and drawing 1. The wheels have well and truly come off.

For part of the break, Arsenal are off to Dubai for a bit of warm weather training.

We are due to play a friendly whilst we are out there. Some have claimed this is money grabbing, that we should not be playing a game. However with a 2 and a half week break we need to play a couple of games to stay sharp.

Whether these are full 90 minutes behind closed doors amongst the squad, or using local sides. We would have played a game out in Dubai regardless, we have just decided to monetise it instead of having it behind closed doors.

The advantage of a 3 week break is it allows the likes of Laurent Koscielny to rest his weary bones before the run in.

Koscielny has been immense recently. Putting his body on the line for the cause of the AFC. At the age of 33 he is clearly on his way out, so the break will give him the energy for the last push in the Europa League and Premier League.

A few wrote him off earlier in the season. I would keep the old dog about.

Next season I would not want him as first choice central defender. I want us to go into the market and buy a top class left sided centre back. I also want us to cash in on Calum Chambers and Shkodran Mustafi.

That would leave Koscileny as 4th choice centre back behind Sokratis, a new signing and Rob Holding. There is life in Koscielny and next season it would be useful to have him in the League Cup team alongside Zech Medley or Dan Ballard.

Yesterday we had the Europa League draw. Arsenal face Napoli. Probably the worst away day we could have asked for bar Chelsea.

Enjoy the next couple of weeks.

Keenos

Gardening, Gigs and Boxing

Match Report: Arsenal 3 – 0 Rennes

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Arsenal (2) 3 Rennes (0) 0
UEFA Europa League, Round of 16, Second Leg
Emirates Stadium, Drayton Park, London N5 1BU
Thursday, 14th March 2019. Kick-off time: 8.00pm

(4-2-3-1) Čech; Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal, Maitland-Niles; Ramsey, Xhaka; Kolašinac, Özil, Lacazette; Aubameyang.
Substitutes: Mkhitaryan, Torreira, Iwobi, Leno, Suárez, Guendouzi, Nketiah
Scorers: Aubameyang (2), Maitland-Niles
Yellow Card: Kolašinac, Aubameyang, Lacazette, Mkhitaryan
Referee: Andris Treimanis (Latvia)
Attendance: circa 50,000

And so, finally, our Europa League challenge continues in style. And who would have thought it two weeks ago? Somehow, we have lifted ourselves up, propelled ourselves into the quarter-finals of the Europa League, and, even better than that, we are knocking on the door of third position in the Premiership. Wow. And in March as well!

Right from the kick-off, Arsenal showed intent and determination to right that wrong of last week in France. Just five minutes into the match, not only did we grab the moment to push ourselves into the lead, but it was how we did it became paramount. Ainsley Maitland-Niles received a lovely backheeled pass from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who in turn slotted it to Aaron Ramsey who whipped a cross in for the man who started the slick movement underway, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, to score easily from close range. There’s nothing like a goal early on in the game to liven things up a bit, so Arsenal came forward again and again until the Rennes defence simply gave way, like water rushing through a breached dam.

We do love our controversies here at Arsenal, so the second goal simply underlined the fact. In a move reminiscent of the horrific 1932 FA Cup Final incident against Newcastle United, the wonderful Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang crossed the ball (when many thought it was over the byline, but TV proved it wasn’t) for Ainsley Maitland-Niles to move, almost ghost-like around the back of the Rennes defenders to head a powerful goal into the net for our second of the night, and the most important, as this one equalised the score over the two legs. Funnily enough, from this point until the half-time break, we become rather scrappy and at times looked quite lacklustre; but the good news was that we did get to half-time two-up, and more importantly we didn’t leak any unnecessary goals in the thirty-minute period from the second goal being scored to the ref’s whistle to signify the start of the break.

The second half saw some heartstopping moments with M’Baye Niang hitting the post with a thunderous shot, along with some rather tasty tackles being implemented by both sides. Four players on both sides were booked, and it seemed a matter of time before someone would receive the dreaded red card; thankfully it was not to be, as cool heads prevailed, and Mr. Emery bought on Lucas Torreira, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Alex Iwobi for Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Özil and Alexandre Lacazette deep into the half. These inspired substitutions completely invigorated Arsenal, and we now were confident, ascendant and dominant. Around fifteen minutes from the end, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored the final goal that placed us into Friday’s quarter-final draw. Fresh legs are always important at this stage of the match, and the pace of Henrikh Mkhitaryan certainly made all the difference here. After some lovely passing movements between Sead Kolašinac and himself, a low cross found the hero of the night, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who stabbed it into the back of the net with some aplomb for the third and final goal of the night; he celebrated in unique style courtesy of a Black Panther mask, which is also the emblem of Gabon, his home country.

A magnificent performance by all players, who finally understood the importance not only of this competition, but how critical Arsenal is to the people who really count, the paying spectators in The Emirates Stadium. Our next match is on April Fools’ Day here in North London against Newcastle United; could this be the match that pushes us into third place in the Premiership? It’s all to play for now, chaps. Remember everyone, keep the faith, get behind the team and the manager, as these early days are going to be crucial for our future success in all competitions. Stick with the winners. Victoria Concordia Crescit.

Steve

Too Dearly Loved To Be Forgotten: Arsenal v Racing Club de Paris 1930-1962 by Steve Ingless (Rangemore Publications, ISBN 978-1-5272-0135-4) is now available on Amazon.

Arsenal face tough task at home to Rennes

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I am concerned about tonight.

Arsenal really should have put the tie to bed in that first leg.

Prior to Sokratis’ sending off, it was all Arsenal. We should have scored 2 or 3. Not for the first time this season we failed to get that second goal. I am confident had we got that, we would have gone on to win comfortably.

Instead it all fell apart when Sokratis received an extremely harsh second yellow which reduced Arsenal to 1-men.

Let’s get things right. It was not a yellow card. The players came together, tangled themselves. It was not even a foul. And from the resulting free kick Rennes equalised with a stunning finish.

If the first was a world class strike from a free kick that should never have been given, the second was down to simple bad luck – the ball deflecting off of Monreal. Own goal.

I could have taken a 2-1 defeat. Not the best result. But it was also not the worst, circumstances considering.

1 goal down with the away goal in the bag, Rennes not overly looking threatening despite having 11 men. You would back Arsenal to overturn the deficit quickly like they did against BATE Borisov.

Instead, in the 88th minute, Arsenal shot themselves in the foot conceding the 3rd goal froma counter attack.

I remember a game a few years ago against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League group stages.

Having been 1-0 down at home, Olivier Giroud had made it 1-1 at half time. With 10 minutes to go. Arsenal were pushing forward. Wave after wave of attack. They were hit on the counter attack and lost the game 2-1 with Robert Lewandowski scoring with just over 5 minutes to go.

Better game management would have recognised that a draw was not a bad result. Would have left Arsenal not pushing forward as aggressively, and resulted in both sides leaving north London with a point.

In the end Arsenal did manage to qualify from a tough group including Napoli and Marseille.

The first leg against Rennes was similar.

Arsenal players (and management) should have recognised that 2-1 with the away goal was not a bad result. Especially down to 10-men. To be hit on the break and end up losing 3-1 was simply down to poor in-game management.

So now instead of needing just the single goal tonight to be leading the game, we need 2. It will a tough task.

Saying that, Arsenal were all over Rennes prior to Sokratis’ sending off. They could not cope with us.

With it being a 2 goal deficit, Arsenal know that they need to attack, attack, attack. And with that away goal in the back, Arsenal now it does not really matter if we concede one.

Rennes will set up to frustrate Arsenal. To protect what they have. It is a game to play Mesut Ozil, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Alex Iwobi behind Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, with Grant Xhaka holding.

It does not matter if we concede one, we still need to score 3.

Go out and be aggressive. Start the men who can unpick the lock and have Xhaka dictating the play from deep.

The majority of the play tonight will be in Rennes half.

It really is a simple game plan.

Leave the central defenders (Laurent Koscielny and Shkodran Mustafi) on the half way line. Xhaka just infront of them, and pile everyone else forward.

Bernd Leno has to be on his toes.

As we saw against Manchester United at the weekend, he is good at coming out of his goal. He will need to remain close to the edge of the box to cut out the long balls over the top.

Am I confident about tonight? No. Do I still expect us to go through? Yes.

We need to keep the dual paths to qualifying for the Champions League open.

Keenos