Arsenal do not play again for nearly two weeks due to the international break, but after that great performance and result against Manchester United yesterday, at least it will be a happy and optimistic couple of weeks. Hopefully none of our players will pick up an injury while on international duty and then we will want to carry on where we left off.
Well in the Premier League anyway, because Arsenal are in good form domestically. Unfortunately the same cannot be said of our Champions League campaign after two dismal and depressing defeats to clubs like Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiacos that we really should be beating.
However, the way we blew United away at the Emirates should have the players believing that we can turn things around in Europe. If Arsenal really are back to their best then you would fancy our chances against almost anyone. The only problem is that the club we need to beat to get back on track in our UCL group is Bayern Munich.
Not only are the German Bundesliga champions always among the strongest teams in Europe, but right now they are in absolutely stunning form. I was hoping that Borussia Dortmund might not do Arsenal a favour at the weekend by knocking Bayern off their stride in the big derby game, as they were unbeaten, in good form themselves and just four points below Munich in the table.
Well that did not exactly go as I hoped, as Bayern smashed their closest rivals to pieces, scoring five goals for the third time in the last four games. They have won all eight of their league games and are flying in Europe as well, so even if Arsenal are back to our brilliant best, we still might need Bayern to be below-par in order for us to get out of the group. What do you think?
We have a very well organized team i’m sure we can play good games against bayern
Can you explain to me how 1 organised performance outweighs the 4 or 5 disorganised ones we’ve seen from Arsenal this season already?
We’re obviously capable of being organised, but why on earth is it always the case that 1 good thing absolves 5 bad things with Arsenal fans? It’s like clockwork EVERY season. Crap game, crap game, crap game, top performance, and all is buried then it’s claimed we’re top notch once again. Hilarious to read, I’ve got to say, but bloody juvenile as it comes.
One good performance? Well I would say that in 3 of our last 4 matches we have been more than good. Against spurs, Leicester and United we were superb. Our attacking game was pretty good against olympiakos too, but unfortunately our defending and girouds/cazorla, Gabriel and Mike deans rush of blood let us down in those 2 champions league games and at Chelsea. OK so the season is a bit stop start, but so is everyone else’s, hence we are sitting 2nd in the league, just 3 matches from a Wembley appearance but rock bottom of our group in the champions league.
Obviously I want us to progress in the champions league, but more realistic is to think we can win the league and possibly another cup. If we finish 3rd in the group and go into Europey league, I would like us to recall some of our loan players and let them have a go at trying to get us to the final stages, saving our first team for the league assault. But a long way to go yet, I won’t be getting carried away, first up we need 4 points off of bayern in the 2 matches.
I see you’ve got an excuse lined up for every crap performance, I’m not at all surprised. With the greatest respect, however good a start Leicester have had its still Leicester city football club who will be finishing about 12th in the league this year.
Again you cite others being bad as some allowance for our troubles. Don’t see how that’s relevant. If Bayern lose and Dortmund lose they don’t say ‘oh well it’s happening all over’. I don’t care that Chelsea are having a mare, or that United are rebuilding, or that City have switched off. Arsenal added no outfield player because we couldn’t find anyone to improve us, breezed preseason, and then have went on to show the same tragic management as last season whilst making an absolute mug of ourselves in Europe to boot.
Yes United is our only top performance of the season so far, and no it doesn’t suddenly mean we’re a great shout for the league. “Unfortunately our defending”, there’s where you’re so wrong. Nothing unfortunate about it, it’s poor management, and it’s been far more prevalent this season than sensational performances.
If you’re writing off the Leceister game are you even going to bother watching the majority of league games these coming few months??
Watford, Everton, Swansea, Tottenham, West Brom, Norwich, Sunderland are our coming league fixtures. They’ll be somewhere in the middle of the pack this season with a few relegation candidates so if we trounce them that won’t count as a good performance either?? They’re only relevant if we draw or lose, yeah? So why bother watching….?
Out of curiosity Charlie… What did you think of Ozil and Theo’s performances on the weekend?
Actually I said the Leicester game was not a “top performance” like the United one, so use your eyes before ruffling your feathers and talking crap back at me.
I watch every game, but it’s the performances vs the top 6 teams in the league that has been our downfall the past few years. So the point I made was to ignore the games we’re supposed to win, and focus more on the ones we haven’t done so well with if you’re looking at measuring improvement. Not a hard concept ayy josh?
Ozil and Walcott had space galore, perfect conditions for them to run riot no what do you know… They did. Out of curiosity, why are you using this one performance as some vindication of their talents?
It could be the start of something good. Go support other clubs if you’re unhappy. Win you bash, lose you bash too. So imagine we win the EPL this season, are you gonna say it’s all luck? Bug games like this when we win, we should be happy.
We performed better as underdog. We can caught them by surprise like few years ago.
My worry is the international break. It bring us unfortune very often.
I’m hoping to give Bayern a run for their money,
Had a thought this morn while working… the win yesterday is now part of Arsenal legend and folklore.
OT: The moment I will always cherish. When Ozil took on SHREK and turned him around right, left and centre like a small school kid…
The yellow card and the tomato red faced look on SHREK were just the icing. Red not because of blushing but because of sheer anger.
Ozil is the key for success
Ozil can’t win games alone but can make good team world class
He even tackles now!!
I know that’s what some people like you would say. Just give credits to the boys. Why do we need to play below par Bayern to win? Have we not beaten them before. You are trying to tell people that we beat below par Manure. Yes they were below par. But who made them so? Not our boys? Because Monreal made Mata to be unnoticed you are trying to insinuate that Mata, who is a WC was below par instead of Monreal being a WC. Shame to those that expected us to lose the match.
@Godswill
RealTalk…
I hate international break:
No Arsenal match for two weeks
Worried about injuries
Don’t want players to be too tired
Worried about injuries
Disrupts our flow and winning streak (1 game streak)
Worried about injuries
I think we should go on sabbatical.
I mean let’s forget about Europe and focus on recharging our batteries.
This team has a lot of wave properties,
but we may feign blindness because of our recent results.
According to my statistical integral calculations our chance of win the UCL is
0.0625%
I see us winning the 2nd leg when they have already qualified or almost.
Hands up those who dread international matches. To come away injury free is a small miracle.
Does this mean Sanchez will get a rest? Never hear much about what`s going on in the sick bay.
Is Diaby still covered in band-aids? Time to bite the bullet and clean out the wounded.
I have never liked the situation where Wenger constantly plays Ramsey out of position. In actuality Ramsey is playing as a roaming midfielder. And I still think it is mistake but……..
If Arsenal can consistently play as well as they did vs. ManU with Ramsey as the roaming midfielder I will stand on a box in the town square and publicly scream my apology.
We shall see.
I think Sunday showed a very subtle change to the midfield, with Ramsey dropping slightly deeper almost alongside coquelin and cazorla with ozil playing alongside sanchez behind Walcott in a 4321 rather than our usual 4231. It meant that defensively we looked stronger and our two most expensive players really got to play where they are most effective.
For me that is the formation that suits us best and when wilshire returns he can fight with any of the 5 midfielders as well as rosicky, chamberlain, arteta, flamini for a place in the 5. I think welbeck Walcott and campbell too will all enjoy that formation, although I am not sure it suits giroud.
I think it’s more like 4-3-3 formation switch.
AW should consider this change because Ramsey is at his best at B2B midfielder.
Ozil could play in RW, and covered by Bell since Ozil is not good at defending.
Bob, trust the Boss and the Gunners and also my word. Arsenal will undoubtedly beat Bayern Munich both at the Emirates Stadium and at the Allianz arena to collect a total of 6 points from 2 legged game and later demolish their next Ucl opponents to qualify for the knock out stages. Bayern Munich could be unbeaten in all competitions this season. But they are not unbeatable as they are made of human flesh and not spirits. Therefore, Arsenal will be the 1st team to inflict a back to back defeat on them, a week after the international break is over.
The lads have to repeat the blitzkrieg performance of manutd.
We have to kill off bayern in the first 20 minutes, than we have a chance.
Bayern is in a top form right now and dowski is going rampant.