Next two games will be a reality check for Arsenal. by Konstantin Mitov
Hello fellow lovely Gooners! I think most of us are not really that excited for the Europa League, and probably won’t be unless we reach at least the 1/4 finals, so I’d rather not spend time on what our reserve players did, as there will be enough talks on Walcott, Wilshere and co but I’d rather focus on what’s coming up next.
Manchester City is a team that is so full of attacking talent it’s scary really. When you have Aguero and he’s not a regular starter, it’s really something. I just can’t imagine a way they won’t score goals against us, and the sad thing is I think they will score a lot. It could be another hammering like Liverpool away.
We’re terrible away from home so far, only winning at Everton, who aren’t really a sizable opposition at this point of time and we got one point at the Bridge, but Chelsea aren’t really having a blast at their title defence either so it’s really hard to see how we will get a result. Wenger’s record against Guardiola isn’t great either.
The biggest problem will be the difference in confidence with one team blowing teams away for fun and another dropping heads as soon as a goal is conceded. Despite the standard Wenger false talks of how everything is great and a parody of an AGM that showed just how little the owner and the board care about the club apart from making money, things at the club reach a new low every day.
Both our best players are 99% gone whether in the summer or winter who knows? We keep playing players like Xhaka who make constant mistakes every game, with no intention to drop them. We play a leaky defence and then we put on a midfield that doesn’t care about helping it.
But can we hurt City? Sure we can. Ozil, Lacazette and Sanchez, if all play with desire, can cause problems, and if the Citizens have a weak point, it’s their defence, so if we manage to pull out a solid tactical play, there’s a chance, but I doubt this.
I think we could get destroyed and afterwards, there’s Tottenham who just beat Real Madrid and despite of their form, they still are Spain and Europe’s Champions. The empty seats already tell a story, but this should be a reminder of how long backwards have Arsenal gone in recent times and the next 2 games will cement this statement.
Konstantin
So correct mate, am scared, this is ironic time for wenger and arsenal, it funny that arsenal did well when we didn’t have money but couldnt use the new wealth to elevate things but the key point is, eye for tactics and scouting the best youth out there is the forward,if we are honest with ourselves, we have to commend Tottenham achievement of blending young and getting good quality players really cheap
When they win something.
No worries, Manchester City and Tottenham are really strong in this season, so it would not be a surprise if Arsenal lose a lot to them. I believe Arsenal would have a slight chance to beat both of them, because they would attack and Arsenal would use the defensive 3-4-2-1 tactic to counter-attack them.
Your comment on being honest with ourselves is spot on. The fans should not dwell on the past like Wenger and Arsenal, bragging about the number of trophies they won in the past, but Arsenal should learn from the other clubs’ very apparent progress.
Pochettino’s capabilities on blending young and getting cheap good quality players are very admirable. Guardiola’s and Sarri’s systems, concepts and principles make football shows very entertaining again.
Actually those types of qualities that made Wenger and Arsenal gained a lot of supporters in the past. But they have changed a lot now. I hope after the big matches Wenger would realize what has gone wrong with Arsenal in the last thirteen years and put some efforts to fix it.
Somethings wrong with our scouting, they get hugo we get ospina, they get alli we get chambers, they get tony alder… We get mustafi, they get erickson we get ozil, they get vertogen we get xhaka, these guys are the game changers for them, people blame stan and co but fail to realise that he did not object to inflated rates for mustafi, xhaka, ozil as well as the bloated wages for these under achievers, only lacazete and koshalnic are worth for the arsenal badge. Stan does not influence the team selection and matchday tactics, something wrong with the club management.
I have to admit my passion all things Arsenal is diminished and will return after Wenger leaves and an ambitious manager (and preferably new owner) had taken over. So I am not fussed about these games and I do look forward to them.
Until Wenger leaves I expect the old Arsenal, convincing at times disappointing at other times but always underdelivering when measuring over one whole PL season.
As funny as it might sound, I think Wenger tends to do OK against City and teams that play attacking football at all cost. So I think our chances against City are better than out chances against Spurs.
Having said that Guardiola has continued to develop his team and they are now becoming “automatic” in their understanding of his methods. That could be bad news.
I would be sad but not surprised with two losses in these games and super surprised with two wins. Anything less than 2 wins IMO is the Arsenal we have seen many times before.
Whatever the outcome these type of games against our top 6 opponents will show us where we really stand, there is no hiding against this quality of opponent. But don’t we aleardy know where we stand? I hope not but suspect I do. But always willing and hoping to be wrong so go win these two games Gunners!!!!!
we will lose both those matches.
But I guess there is no shame in losing to far superior opponents
KM, came out to play before the result, must be feeling pretty confident then ..ironically.
Yes he is confident we will loose, Konstantin the voice of doom!
The predicament our club is in, and esp when compared to that of Spurs with a far lower budget and wage bill, clearly shows the difference is in how both clubs are managed and run by the two managers and boards. Spurs picked up Dele Alli for £ 5 million, we got Elneny for a similar sum. Pochettino really coaches and improves players, eg Trippier, Kane, Eriksson, Winks. Wenger plays players in wrong position , harming them and undermining their confidence. Spurs have a chairman who cares passionately about their club and who personally does transfer business driving fierce bargains to his clubs advantage. We have Sir Chips Keswick who is disdainful to our supporters and admits preferring horse racing. Their owner, though in the background abroad, seems to care about what is going on and is constantly in touch. We have Silent Stan who collects sports franchises like some collect stamps and treats them with about the same regard; all are failing and he is hated across his homeland and by Gooners. Does he care though? Not a fig! Our club is clearly being misrun from top to bottom but Spuds are going real places. I hate writing this truth and it pains me immensely but to face the awful truth is the first necessary step to bringing in a sea change in our club. What really holds our club back from enforcing this vital change is the immature, wilfully blind and one eyed stance of so many who cannot stand the truth, not being brave enough to face up to reality. So they delude themselves we are still top dogs in North London. I tell you this – which the realists among us already know – there will be no more St Totteringhams days while our present stale regime continues to misrun our club. The truth hurts, God how it hurts, but it remains the TRUTH! Only the wilfully blind, one eyed fans will dislike this post and this truth. Enemies of vital change!
Well said Jon Fox. Nothing to add.
Three enemies of the club have disliked my true comments. Must be Kroenke, Gazidis and Wenger!
I wont raise my hopes as long as wenger is around its doom all the way miracles do happen though….
If you know that the Arsenal team is just trash why would you be scared? I thought you would just expect the hammering and take it as it is. Sarcasm aside, I really get incensed by people who write for the sake of it. What is the writer’s intention? Is it to show how Arsenal will be hammered on Sunday or how Spurs will beat us? If Arsenal loses to Man City that will be it after all this is a team with one of the best managers in the world and which has spent a lot of money this season. However I don’t expect any hammering on Sunday. In fact there is a good chance Arsenal can win this game. For those who love history, Arsenal’s record against Man City isn’t bad at all but for the analysts still this game is winnable by Arsenal. It is just not possible that Man City will always blow away teams. Man City’s time for recapitulation is not far and it could as well come via Arsenal. Any serious analyst would regard the Liverpool game as a self inflicted mishap and nothing else. Hence quoting it to justify Arsenal’s failings is half correct. I expect a very competitive game which could go either way. I know many of the pundits have, as usual, not given Arsenal any chance in this game but they did the same in the FA final against Chelsea. Only time will tell and in this case it’s just two days away.
Correction: It should be capitulation instead of recapitulation.
I’m not sure why this deserves an article apart from feeding the baying mob. So the conclusion seems to be we will struggle to get anything out of back to back games against arguably two of the top five teams in Europe. Yep I’m right with the author on this one. That this will represent another new low for the club? Sorry, lost me there.
Adding to your very reasonable comment. How is worrying about the match yet to be played good for my health and for the team. Will it change the out come of the match. This site is becoming infested with people that thrive on negativity. The matches are yet to be played and people are already bitching about the outcome. well since you already know what is going to happen I hope and pray i won’t have to read one of your usual after every defeat.
Well, at least you got the fact it is two days away correct.
Why don’t people just have a bit more faith in our team let’s keep our opinions too ourself until after the match and really get behind the mighty gunners
I am not scared at all. We will have a good result on Sunday.
Don’t worry, because Sanchez, Lacazette and Ozil would be pumped up to prove themselves against the world class players and Guardiola. Arsenal might lose, but our expensive attackers would make sure to give us a very entertaining match.
Reading this gives me migraine and depression!!!
We have fresh players, awesome front three and with desire & focus we can do something…hope is a good thing.
Have to admit though that little worried about Mertesacker with all these nimble players running around him….
Let’s show what we can do and hopefully nick a result. Then we go on and cut down these clowns up the street!
We are underdogs both teams even according to the bet placers,ooh how times changes, it may take a decade to get back to top four just as it took to win cup trophy the effect of self denial
No s**t Sherlock!
we are going to beat city
Mertesacker playing is a disaster waiting to happen….am so scared….
Media and the whole world expect us to lose already so we have nothing to lose really. IMO, they are the one that should be scared.