Tag Archives: She Wore A Yellow Ribbon

Wenger get’s it right as Arsenal progress

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Pre match, all the focus on team selection seemed to surround Sunderland and Sam Allardyce, with the fat walrus moaning to whoever would listen about the fixtures list. He made it clear early on that he would play a complete bunch of youngsters.

Throughout the build up, Arsenal seemed to be forgotten about. With a mid-week game away to Liverpool coming up, it had not really been discussed what changes Arsene Wenger would make.

On Twitter, the common consensus was that there would be whole sale changes, with everyone agreeing that we should rest the entire XI that would be likely to start against Liverpool. With Sunderland set to play the kids, Arsenal could surely afford to do so as well.

What happened with the team sheets came out was fairly surprising. Allaradyce had attempted to pull the wool over everyone’s eyes with his team selection.

Whilst it was by no means the strongest XI, and with a debutante in goal in the shape of 21 year old keeper Jordan Pickford, the outfield players were certainly not the kids that were threatened to be put out.

Regular starters John O’Shea, Patrick van Aanholt, Sebastian Coates, Jermain Lens, Steven Fletcher, Duncan Watmore and Lee Catermole all started. Only Billy Jones and Jermaine Defoe were missing from the regulars who had started most of this season.

Unlike most of Twitter, Arsene Wenger ignored what was coming out of the walruses mouth. He could have fallen into the trap and started the likes of Glen Kamara, Jeff & others. Instead, it was a strong line up with only one kid in the starting 11 – the impressive Alex Iwobi. Take him out (for maybe Aaron Ramsey) and it was a starting XI that you could see starting games in the Premier League.

Ever present Nacho Monreal was rested for Kieran Gibbs, and Mesut Ozil was given the rest everyone knew he would get, and needed. It was a side Wenger picked to win the game, no matter the players put out by Fat Sam. It was a strong side.

And it was the strength of the side, showing that Wenger does take the competition seriously – that saw us through. Despite going 1-0 down, and having a shaky moment when Steven Fletcher hit the bar when he really should have scored, Arsenal were never in trouble of going out,. It was a professional performance that you would expect from the quality of players put out by Wenger.

There were some outstanding performances that do deserve a mention.

Hector Bellerin, who could have been rested for Debuchy, showed once more that he is quickly becoming not just one of the best right backs in the Premier League, but one of the best in Europe. An international call up is surely on the horizon. A place in Spain’s Euro 2016 squad an outside bet.

He showed once again he is growing defensively, but it was his attacking that court the eye. Getting forward at every opportunity, putting in quality balls, and beating his opposing full back with ease. Were he a winger, we would be crowing about this performance. The fact he was at full back makes it ever more incredible.

And the vision and weight of the pass for Olivier Giroud’s goal was exceptional. Ozil-esque even. An ordinary player would have just smashed an aimless ball hard across the box, leaving the striker no chance to get on the end of it. Bellerin picked out Giroud with tremendous ease. And it actually makes you forget about his pass to Ramsey for the second. Again, a cool, calm pass where a lesser player would have smashed it.

It was also an impressive performance once more for Joel Campbell. His hunger and desire was there for all too see. He is still proving a lot of people, including myself, wrong. He is becoming an important squad player, growing with every game.

Where as in the summer we were looking to offload the Costa Rican, we must now be hoping that he signs a new contract, with his current one reportedly expiring at the end of this season. It would be interesting to see if he does get a new 4/5 year deal, if his hunger and desire remain, or once his future is secure, does he, like many others before, loose focus.

Calum Chambers also looked good in the holding midfield position. And both Iwobi and Jeff looked classy, showing that a Premier League loan deal till the end of the season might be beneficial for both’s future.

Overall, it was a solid performance by a solid side. Wenger got his team selection right, and we are into the hat for the 4th round draw.

The Double is still on.

Keenos

Goodbye Mathieu Debuchy

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So news is currently breaking that Mathieu Debuchy is on his way out of the club on loan for the rest of the season. It is currently destination unknown, but it should not come as a surprise to anyone.

Signed in the summer of 2014, Arsenal looked to have got a solid replacement for Bacary Sagna. Premier League experience, and keeping Sagna out of the French national team at the time, a £12million deal with Newcastle went through very quickly.

18 months on and he finds himself on the bench at Arsenal and with just 45 minutes of international since the 2014 World Cup, his career has spiralled down hill quickly. The cruel would say he has been one of Arsene Wenger’s biggest flops.

However, it is not as easy as to just label him a flop. There is a very curious, very unique, set of circumstances which account for the Frenchman’s demise.

When he was signed in July 2016, he was already 28 (he turned 29 11 days after signing, so some would argue he was already 29). He was clearly signed as a short term replacement for Sagna.

At the club already, we already had 2 right backs. Hector Bellerin and Carl Jenkinson. Both talented, yet both unproven.

Bellerin was just 19 and had just returned from a fruitful, yet short, loan spell at Watford. He had just 1 Arsenal appearance to his name as an extra time substitute on the League Cup.

Jenkinson meanwhile was 3 years Bellerin’s senior at 22, but there were plenty of question marks over him.  He had not really built on his early promise having signed out of nowhere from Charlton at 19, and his performances in the previous 2 years could be described as average, at best.

So we have one talented young right back without a Premier League game to his name. And another who’s ceiling was (and still is?) a 2nd choice right back at the club.

Sagna at the time was a perfect foil for these two. At 31, he only had a couple of years left at the highest level. Just long enough to make a decision on the future of Bellerin and Jenkinson. But he jumped ship to Manchester City.

That left Arsenal in a conundrum. Do they take a point on the unproven (Bellerin), rely on the questionable (Jenkinson) or make a move in the transfer market. The latter was always the best option.

It was then a case of what to go for. Some for long term, that would kill any potential chance of Bellerin or Jenkinson (both home grown remember) of breaking through into the first team. Or someone like Sagna, towards the end of his career, who could do a job for 2/3 years as other players developed. We plucked for the latter (again).

And in Debuchy, we found the perfect signing. An attacking full back, 28/29 years old, been playing in the Premier League for 18 months for Newcastle, and France’s first choice right back. He ticked all the right boxes.

Signing Debuchy allowed us to send either Bellerin or Jenkinson on loan to another Premier League club to continue their development, whilst keeping the other as Debuchy’s understudy in case of injury. Jenkinson packed his bags and it left Arsenal with a clear number 1 and 2. Debuch yas first choice. Bellerin as 2nd choice.

At this stage it looked like Jenkinson’s Arsenal career was over. Especially with Southampton right back Calum Chambers joining the club. Jenkinson would be 23 over the next season. And if Debuchy stays for the expected 2/3 seasons, he will be 25/26. Would he really go on 3 loan deals? To then return as back up? Unlikely. Unless anything exceptional happened, Jenkinson would be sold in 2015/16, and Bellerin likely loaned out for the same season with Chambers providing the cover for Debuchy at right back.

But the exceptional did happen.

After a decent enough start to his Arsenal career – only slightly tarnished by a sending off for two cautions against Besiktas, it was looking good. The plan was coming together. With Chambers putting in solid performances at centre back, it meant that Arsenal could look at loaning out Bellerin for the 2nd half of the season. Then disaster.

Debuchy was stretchered off (and administered oxygen) against Manchester City in mid-September having done his ankle ligaments. Ruled out for 3 months.mathieu-debuchy-arsenal-football_3207474

Given first chance was Spanish youngster Bellerin, who came in for Borussia Dortmund and was hopelessly out of place. He looked young, he looked scared, he was a deer in headlights. He was clearly not ready.

Discarded after 1 game, Calum Chambers was given the chance after the International break, where he had made his debut for England. Chambers looked. Bellerin was given a second chance in the next game as Chambers was moved inside for the League Cup game against Southampton.

It would be nearly a month until we saw Bellerin back in an Arsenal shirt when an injury to Koscielny forced Arsenal to push the impressive Chambers inside for a game against Sunderland. It was just the one game though as for the next few games, Arsenal went with Chambers right back, and Nacho Monreal at centre back (incidentally, it was this run at centre back for Monreal which caused him to jump ahead of Gibbs at left back, making his Arsenal career).

Then the Arsenal injury curse negligence hit again. This time Monreal out. 6th December 2014. Bellerin started again, with Chambers once more moving inside. Bellerin was substituted at half time, 3-0 down, Chambers sent off with 12 minutes to go.

At this time, Arsenal fans are looking at when Debuchy is back. Glad that the club did not rely on the young talented players. Wondering why we loaned out Jenkinson, who was on form for West Ham.

With Chambers suspended, in came Bellerin again. And this time, looked a lot more assured. Coupled with further injury problems in the middle and at left back, it saw Bellerin have a 4 game run in the team, even once Debuchy was fit again. With the Frenchman deputising at centre back and left back.

Arsenal were finally back to their first choice defence of Debuchy Mertesacker Koscileny Monreal in a game against Stoke in early January. After 13 minutes, the exceptional happened again. Debuchy was pushed when in the air and already off the pitch, landed heavy, and once more hard to be stretchered off. Another 3 months out, this time with a dislocated shoulder.debuchy12

Rather than return to Chambers, Arsenal gave Bellerin another run out in the side. He had grown since that start against Dortmund and put in an assured performance in a crucial game away against Manchester City, following this up by scoring his first Arsenal goal against Aston Villa.

By the time Debuchy returned to fitness with just a few weeks to go till the end of the season, Bellerin had made the right back position his own. An attempt to blood Debuchy back in during the Reading game in the FA Cup (in preparation for the end of season run in) failed as he looked off the pace. He was clearly being rushed back. Bellerin returned for the final 7 games of the season, picking up an FA Cup winners medal in the process.

The actions of the club over the summer of 2015 perhaps showed where Debuchy’s future lied. After an impressive spell at West Ham, a £10million deal for Jenkinson was reportedly on the table. Had Arsenal accepted this, it would have shown Debuchy was first choice again. After all, he was an experienced international, and surely not hang around as 2nd choice at Arsenal, especially with a home Euro’s coming up where he would likely make the squad, hopefully start.

Jenkinson was once again loaned out, which caused speculation about Debuchy’s future to begin. Would he start the season as 1st choice? Does Bellerin deserve to be dropped? Would Debuchy be sold?

West Ham at home, first game of the season, Debuchy started. Arsenal lost. Whilst the defeat was certainly not the Frenchman’s fault, he was the fall guy, and Bellerin was bought back in having performed well the week previous in the Community Shield against Chelsea.

Debuchy would only be seen against fleetingly. When Wenger decided to shuffle the squad in the Champions League or League Cup. Each time he looked well off the pace. Not fully fit. Struggling for match sharpness.

So here we have it. A French international, bought for the short term, getting an injury which, due to many other circumstances in the pot, led to Bellerin getting a few chances, and finally taking one.

Who could have expected Debuchy’s long term lay off?

Who could have expected Bellerin would finally take the chance with both hands?

It was going to take an exceptional set of circumstances to see Debuchy end up in his current situation. But the stars aligned (for Bellerin) and the worst case scenario happened for Debuchy.

With Jenkinson on loan at West Ham (where he is struggling), he would have been sitting over Christmas, pondering his future. The Arsenal door looked shut, and a move out of the club in the summer likely.

At 30 (31 this summer), his career coming to an end, and with that home Euro’s looming, it should not be a surprise to anyone that he is looking to move in January. He knows he does not have a future at Arsenal. He does not even have a present.

People who call Debuchy a flop are wrong. He is the victim of circumstances that conspired against him. Whilst his 22 game Arsenal career will not live long in the memory, it would be unfair to put him at right back in a ‘Worst Arsenal XI’.

Good luck Mathieu, and I hope you regain your France place for the Euro’s.

Keenos

The Rise of the LAD Bible Supporter

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Over the years, there have been many different groups of fans who go to games. Casuals, Shirters, JCLs and Tourists being four. But recently we have seen a new type of fan come onto the scene. The LAD Bible Fan.

They go to football just to say that they go to football. They see themselves as a LAD and the most LADish activity is going to football. They do not really care about the game, they care about telling their friends that they went to the football. They will take pictures, take videos, post them onto various social media, just to let you know that they are a LAD who go’s football.

A LAD bible fan usually wears Stone Island. Or if their student loan does not stretch that far, will wear Primark and will purchase a fake Stone Island badge that they beg their mum to sow onto all of their clothes. Why Stone Island? Because it is the most LAD clothing brand out there. They will pair their Primark jumper with a Stone Island badge with a Stone Island baseball cap and a pair of £10 H&M jeans.

You will often see them taking seflies of themselves, ensuring the Stone Island badge is on show. This will show to their Twitter followers how much of a LAD they are.

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Before a game they are usually found in the concourse. Beer in hand, having a sing song. But look closer, and in the other hand, they have their phone. Videoing themselves and the crowd having a sing song. Then the bouncing starts. Then the beer go’s in the air. Soaking everyone. After all, what is more LAD than chucking a £5 beer in the air soaking your mate. It’s only BANTZ mate.

The video’s go online. Firstly to ensure everyone knows that they are a LAD who go’s football, has a sing song, and chucks beer in the air. Secondly in the hope that LAD Bible pick up the video, tweet it, and you go viral. You not only become a LAD. You become a VIRAL LAD.

During the game, they are not watching it. Remember, they do not massively enjoy football. They enjoy telling people that they go football. The game is just an inconvenience which takes time away from jumping up and down and throwing beer at each other.

To keep themselves busy during the game, they are usually videoing every moment. The play, the crowd, the opposition taking a corner. Why? Again, to let people know they are at the game. And in the hope that they might pick up a bit of golden footage that can turn them into a VIRAL LAD. They always carry a portable phone charger in their pocket. Don’t want the battery to run out when there is 90 minutes of footage to be have.

On the train home, they have a bit of a sing song. About Kolo and Yaya Toure. About Jamie Vardy’s party. About chatting shit and getting banged. This, despite them not supporting Manchester City, Liverpool or Leicester. This is probably the worst trait of the LAD Bible fan.

Singing an opponent’s song, for BANTZ, because they saw it on LAD Bible. One of their mates will be recording them. To stick it up online. So that everyone knows that they make a bit of noise on the train. When the train guard comes past, they sing at him. If you are a LAD, you do not respect authority.

When they get back to whatever town they came from, they sit down for dinner with their mum, trying to hide that they have had a couple of beers (they bought 6, but 4 went in the air), and are back to normal life. All the time checking their phone to see how many RTs or Likes their videos and selfies have got during the day. Refreshing theLADbible’s feed in the hope that they repost one of your videos.

The LAD Bible fans are an odd breed. They spend thousands going up and down the country watching football, to just tell people that they go up and down the country watching football. It is more important that people see them as a LAD who go’s football, then as a football fan.

There used to be a conundrum many years ago. Would you rather shag Paris Hilton, but no one knows, or not shag her, but everyone thinks you have. The LAD Bible fans are the same. They would rather not go football, but everyone thinks they do, than go football, but no one knows about it.

Their ultimate aim? To get a call from the BBC to appear on the third series of Football Fight Club. That will show their friends and family that they are a SUPER LAD.

The LAD Bible fans. Coming to a ground near you soon.

Keenos