Ballmouth (A) 25/11 @ 13:30

[SydneyGooner]

Eddie Howe has to be given consideration as one of the best managers in the game right now. That story is just remarkable.

Post a link or a credit to the writer of that piece or I have to delete it mate.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/46254655

[rodders999]

Yep you summed it up well there Augie. I too am surprised how we’re doing so well given we’ve never been ahead at Half Time. The Liverpool game really was the only game so far where we came out of the traps well.
A win at Bournemouth is never a gimme so of course we’ll take it and move on. If we piss about again on Sunday then make no mistake The Spuds will punish us and could be out of sight within half an hour.
I’m thinking of changing my name to Xhaka-Why?

5 minutes to go yesterday Xhaka had the ball at the edge of our box, was under no pressure and had plenty of safe options either side of him to pass to. For the second or two that the ball was at his feet I started to feel uneasy, my heart rate quickened and I started to feel a sense of dread and panic. You see we've seen this scene before.....a lot.....and it's ended catastrophically.....a lot..

Instead of picking the safe pass in the 85th minute of a tight game where we haven't played well but are somehow leading 2-1, he chips a ball into midfield straight to a Bournemouth player, who advances and hits a shot that rebounds back off the post. I lost my absolute shit at the sheer stupidity of that.

Just TWO minutes later he's at it again, another careless pass straight to the opposition and we end up bundling it out for a corner which ended with Leno scrambling the ball off his own line for another corner.

Mindless, brain dead, ill disciplined play from a complete skid mark of a player.

[Nos89]

I'm just wondering what will happen when we start playing well more consistently?

That's a 17 game unbeaten run whilst playing mostly average with occasionally brilliant football. There seems a lot more to come from this team. I'm not complaining just fascinated as this is what title winning teams do, keep getting by without losing. Not that we are close to achieving that but then again neither were Leicester city at this stage of that season.

[CloakedGooner]

Mixing fans seems to work ok at Fulham ,we should try it !

Screw that. Completely takes away the tribal aspect of football

[DB10GOONER]

Eddie Howe has to be given consideration as one of the best managers in the game right now. That story is just remarkable.

Post a link or a credit to the writer of that piece or I have to delete it mate.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/46254655

Thanks mate.

[clockender1]

Scrappy but 3 points and seventeen games without a loss.

Very tough place to go and win the days down Bournemouth, so very pleased to get a win down there.

Onwards

it was only scrappy because miti and PEA couldn't get their strikes on target.

Xhaka, mustafi and miti aside, i thought the scoreline flattered them.

leno was excellent, So-crates had his best game in the shirt, Kolasinac was very disruptive and together with holding and the Greek give us some bite we've been lacking. plus Kola had both assists for the goal.

a fit laca up front or Welbeck and we'd of won that 5-1.

Iwobi is becoming frustrating - he can pass well, but needs to open his legs and run at people, be direct and stop sodding around with dribbling. his strength a presence do cause problems but to be like laca he needs to be more of a goal threat.

Torreira did a good job in midfield but as the game wore on his passing fell apart. i think he was gassed yet again. i'd prefer we start with Dozer and bring Torreira on when we've sealed the points.

we are not playing great but the effort, attitude, fitness and discipline is getting us by. we held Liverpool but we need to up our possession and passing 20-30% to beat city.

[Eboue-Why?]

Yep you summed it up well there Augie. I too am surprised how we’re doing so well given we’ve never been ahead at Half Time. The Liverpool game really was the only game so far where we came out of the traps well.
A win at Bournemouth is never a gimme so of course we’ll take it and move on. If we piss about again on Sunday then make no mistake The Spuds will punish us and could be out of sight within half an hour.
I’m thinking of changing my name to Xhaka-Why?

5 minutes to go yesterday Xhaka had the ball at the edge of our box, was under no pressure and had plenty of safe options either side of him to pass to. For the second or two that the ball was at his feet I started to feel uneasy, my heart rate quickened and I started to feel a sense of dread and panic. You see we've seen this scene before.....a lot.....and it's ended catastrophically.....a lot..

Instead of picking the safe pass in the 85th minute of a tight game where we haven't played well but are somehow leading 2-1, he chips a ball into midfield straight to a Bournemouth player, who advances and hits a shot that rebounds back off the post. I lost my absolute shit at the sheer stupidity of that.

Just TWO minutes later he's at it again, another careless pass straight to the opposition and we end up bundling it out for a corner which ended with Leno scrambling the ball off his own line for another corner.

Mindless, brain dead, ill disciplined play from a complete skid mark of a player.

That post is why after all these years you are STILL my favourite poster Rodders!!
I could not have put it better myself

[DB10GOONER]

Your star player on 350 grand a week can’t be trusted away at Bournemouth because the game was deemed too physical for him despite Bournemouth not being a physical side and there not being a single tackle worthy of the name in the game.

That is a massive issue you got on your hands there.

I dont think that it was a physiciality issue per se, I think that it was more an expected lack of space in the area's that ozil likes - tbf to emery I think that he was bang on with that call, cos their pitch seems to be quite small and congested all the time, and it would not have suited ozil one jot imo.

But Emery specifically mentioned the physical aspect of the game when asked why Ozil didn't play -

We thought how we can be better in the match today which is very demanding with the physicality and the intensity

Anyway it doesn't matter, if it's too physical you can't play him, not enough space you can't play him - we've often spoke here about whether you can play him away to the big teams because he doesn't show up.

So when can you play him? And why have we a player on 350 grand a week that can only play under the prefect conditions? I'm calling him Goldilocks from now on - the porridge can't be too hot and it can't be too cold - it has to be just right.

We can ill afford that kind of luxury.

Something obviously lost in translation there. I don't believe Dick is stupid enough to publicly humiliate and undermine his best player. If you read the quote he never actually said he dropped Ozil because Ballmouth were too physical - the media have added 1 and 1 and gotten 52 out of his comment. I think what he meant was he wanted to play a more direct game.

Also it is a ridiculous non starter as an explanation. We are talking about Ballmouth ffs hardly the roughest of teams.... and yet Dick has no problem playing Ozil against citeh who have Fernandcunto in there going through people's achilles every single game?

It's bollocks. He either has had another row with Ozil or is letting Ozil know who is boss, or he is resting him for the scum who by the way have filthy cùnts like Lamela and Chubsy Dier in there kicking ankles and stamping on feet. Surely if he thinks Ozil isn't up to the physical challenge that would be the game to drop him for?

[Nos89]

There's clearly something going on with Ozil in the background that we are unaware of. Wenger started leaving him out of games last season, especially away, notably last season at Bournemouth when he had a "back" injury. A game we lost. I'm not too concerned about it, we won 3 points where we lost 3point last season, so we're up like for like.

[DB10GOONER]

I have a feeling Ozil shot the mouth off again in training and Dick is showing him who is boss. And rightly so - if that is the case.

[OneBardGooner]

Yep you summed it up well there Augie. I too am surprised how we’re doing so well given we’ve never been ahead at Half Time. The Liverpool game really was the only game so far where we came out of the traps well.
A win at Bournemouth is never a gimme so of course we’ll take it and move on. If we piss about again on Sunday then make no mistake The Spuds will punish us and could be out of sight within half an hour.
I’m thinking of changing my name to Xhaka-Why?

5 minutes to go yesterday Xhaka had the ball at the edge of our box, was under no pressure and had plenty of safe options either side of him to pass to. For the second or two that the ball was at his feet I started to feel uneasy, my heart rate quickened and I started to feel a sense of dread and panic. You see we've seen this scene before.....a lot.....and it's ended catastrophically.....a lot..

Instead of picking the safe pass in the 85th minute of a tight game where we haven't played well but are somehow leading 2-1, he chips a ball into midfield straight to a Bournemouth player, who advances and hits a shot that rebounds back off the post. I lost my absolute shit at the sheer stupidity of that.

Just TWO minutes later he's at it again, another careless pass straight to the opposition and we end up bundling it out for a corner which ended with Leno scrambling the ball off his own line for another corner.

Mindless, brain dead, ill disciplined play from a complete skid mark of a player.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b ... 9-25112018

Just watched the highlights on MOTD and you're bang on Rodders - in the last 4 minutes he gives the ball away twice and they almost score - then musfafi does another of his lame fucktard tackles and they get a free-kick on goal from the edge of the penalty area.


Both Xhaka and Mustafi are Not good enough...I can see Fat Tongue ripping those 2 wankers a new one...