Arsenal ‘gooning themselves’ over being ‘out-played’ by Man Utd as ‘flat-track bully’ Gyokeres falters
The message to Arsenal supporters is clear: ‘if you want to slap yourself to a frothy lather’ over being ‘out-played’ by Manchester United then go for it.
Send your thoughts to theeditor@football365.com.
Flat-track bully Viktor
Some interesting Gyokeres takes in the Mailbox, but one that’s caught my eye this afternoon is the view of Charlie Austin, he of ex-QPR and Southampton fame. You may remember him from that brilliant post-match interview he once gave, apparently now doing Sky Sports ‘News’ shifts on the sofa.
Anyway, Austin has his doubts that Gyokeres will be any good against the ‘big sides’ and might just be a flat track bully.
He said this in an extremely thick sounding tone, and it was absolutely with the inclination to stir up some fury, have Sky post the clip and watch the juicy viral numbers roll in.
And yet, that ‘insult’ is literally EXACTLY who I hope Gyokeres turns out to be. Of last season’s bottom ten, we dropped points (at least once) to half of them. Now, granted, we’ve already played one of last season’s bottom ten (with a better result than last season, might I add) and he didn’t play well, so Austin may be wrong.
But jokes aside, if Gyokeres scores 20 goals but only two of them come against the top ten then great, quite frankly. I think I’m right in saying that in our last two home matches against West Ham, we’ve had 50 shots and lost both games by a combined scoreline of 0-3. Or Fulham away, where we have a point from our last two visits, which have included 25 shots but just a goal in each. I could go on.
The point is we have a good record vs the ‘bigger’ teams. We know how to grind those wins out, or at the very least not lose. It’s against a lot of the rest where one goal isn’t often enough and we need to turn some of last year’s 14 draws into wins. And we’ve often done it with Havertz up front and playing a key role.
Even if you didn’t think Gyokeres looked much cop on Sunday, which I didn’t, by the way, you cannot rule him out after 60 minutes at an optimistic Old Trafford.
If he’s on two league goals by Christmas I’ll start to panic. Hopefully instead he’ll have ten goals all against lesser sides and they all come in wins.
Joe, AFC, East Sussex
Grow up, Gooners
Arsenal fans gooning themselves to say how it doesn’t matter that they were crap, they got the three points. Funny stuff.
And yes, you got these three points. Keep playing like that and you may not get many more though. Rather than be rolling about in your own juices, you should be far more concerned.
Worth remembering that even when Arsenal did match or outplay United, that was when both teams were usually battling for the league title. That isn’t the case currently. If you want to slap yourself to a frothy lather over just about beating last season’s 15th best team, you go for it son. I won’t kink shame you.
Also, since context is lovely, you fielded 10 of the same XI to start that you did last year. These guys know each other, they don’t need to learn or fit some new tactic. Even setting aside Cunha and Mbeumo, and the keeper who thankfully rarely played, I’m not sure the rest of that XI started more than a few times together in a year, if that.
So again, if you want to take relieved joy at the three points, you do that. I can understand the copium. And if you want to mock United for being pleased at how this new shape and lineup fared, enjoy yourself. But being out-played by it should be a source of embarrassment, though.
Still, this is the rarely self-aware Arsenal fan-base we’re talking about here.
In pre-season, I predicted Arsenal for 3rd this season. Based on what we saw, I think that’s at least one position too high.
Badwolf
Arsenal fans don’t get it do they.
“Stop picking on us! Stop having unrealistic expectations!” etc.
Sorry folks, but that’s not how it works.
Your own manager said publicly towards the end of last season that he believed Arsenal was the best team in the Premier League and Champions League, despite winning neither.
Many of your fans – especially the terminally online – talk of your team like they’ve been cleaning up the last three years. Nonsense that Saka is better than Salah, that Saliba is better than Van Dijk, etc etc.
Your players are continually impetuous and get silly yellow cards for time wasting, kicking the ball away and the like, then you cry “conspiracy”!
All of this put together winds other people up. If you were humble, realised your place, quietly got on with things and went about your business with a little bit of dignity, then maybe you would be left alone and hell, who knows, you might even actually WIN something to back up all the hubris.
Tldr: Arsenal don’t help themselves one bit then cry when other fans take the p*ss.
Andy H, Swansea.
And so it begins. Already.
Rich, AFC, wonders – nay, demands to know – why Arsenal must come first. Isn’t it obvious, dear Richie? You haven’t had a striker since 1974, and that’s been a bit of a bugbear for the fans. But now you’ve sorted that, plus a couple of others who make excellent depth, and of course you have come 2nd, once even when it would have been easier to win it. Of course you now gotta win the damn thing.
But whoah there, cowboy. Liverpool also have to win it, after spending 5 times the GDP of Tuvalu, and renewing a couple of big contracts.
Of course City also have to win it, too, after spending a fair whack themselves, and recently being expected to win it.
Naturally all three can’t win it, and two likely won’t sack their coaches either, unless they literally drop the ball, in which case …
Might I suggest you calm it a tad, and stop getting the defensive excuses in now? Jesus, fella, we’re literally one game in and you’re already setting yourself up like a defence attorney giving a pre-trial statement to the press.
Mike D
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Midfield mess, keeper stress
I’ve said it since the summer and I’ll say it again: Amorim is setting himself up for trouble because he didn’t have the courage to move Bruno on. He is forcing a square peg into a round hole.
Instead of building balance around the system the manager prefers, the club stuck with Bruno. They either should have sold him and brought in two proper defensive or box-to-box midfielders, or if they were determined to keep him, allowed him to play in his best role as a free No.10 within a three-man midfield. That is the tactical challenge Amorim has to figure out, and if he cannot, he risks ending up like those before him.
Against Arsenal, United’s midfield was exposed a couple of times through the middle, but Arsenal did not take advantage. We did play better than we have for much of the past year, with some good combination play, but the same weaknesses remain. The goalkeeper and the imbalance in midfield will keep undoing us, either through cheap goals conceded or through momentum being killed by an unexpected transition strike.
Still, around 60 percent of the squad has genuine quality. Players like Yoro, De Ligt, Martínez, Mazraoui, Højlund, Amad, Mbeumo, Cunha, Mount, and Fernandes can all be starters or strong rotation options for a title-contending side.
Amorim is a talented manager and I want him to succeed. Right now it feels like he is either tying his own hands or being limited by the club’s decisions. If things continue this way, I fear this season could unravel quickly.
I will not say much about our goalkeeper situation as that is a well-beaten horse. The midfield issue is what will put pressure on the keeper and defense.
Mike
Rodry-go away
Hi, City fan here.
I wish the fans of club had some, atleast some say in their transfers. So we sent Jack Grealish on loan, which I didn’t like. We are selling good academy players like Mactee for no good reason.
But now we are linked with some Selfish Overrated wannabe galactico i.e Rodrygo. Not only will this give 100 million plus to our main European Rival, but this guy’s extremely inflated salary will be a huge drain. I would rather have Grealish take that salary and not f*** up the system. Why are we sending him on loan and bringing someone untested there.
I am not sure whether there are other city fans who are devoted to Marmoush, but he seems an expensive addition for being a back up. He never seemed good to me without Haaland on the field to occupy the defenders. Palmer could have done that goddamn job and actually scored more goals. I guess The Arsenal fans who didn’t want madueke might get what I am trying to say, it was another unnecessary transfer that inflated all other wingers.
Victor MCFC ( I wish Deschamps takes over City once Pep moves on)
Corners
Yes, Red Herring, the obstruction thing really gets on my nerves too. The one that comes to mind was in a Utd Arsenal game where De Ligt was just flagrantly backing into David Raya but luckily Arsenal’s keeper isn’t made of balsa wood and managed to clear it. Or another one is that one, you know the one with yer man, the one that’s literally every corner in every game in the Premier League for the past 5 years.
Your complaint essentially boils down to Arsenal being good at set pieces and that’s because of their set piece coach. Well, thanks for noticing I guess? Maybe you should get one?
Utd are weak at defending set pieces. They make stupid decisions like asking Mason Mount to stop Saliba at a corner. They let themselves be bullied by bigger boys. They were like that all last season and the magical off-season that Amorin needed doesn’t seem to have changed anything. You need to be stronger, I think that’s the agreed line.
SC, Belfast
Red Herring’s quoting the obstruction rule was interesting – particularly the text that says it applies “when the ball is not in playing distance of either player”.
Because the ball was in playing distance of both players – Bayindir literally handled the ball and Saliba is right underneath it (he’s got no intention of trying to play the ball, but it is in playing distance…). So if that is the rule, presumably we aren’t actually talking about whether it was obstruction, but instead about whether it was a foul on the keeper.
My honest view is that it was a foul. I’ve seen a lot of “it’s a contact sport” bollocks in the aftermath but those people are missing the point – you can be physical when legitimately competing for the ball by all means – if Saliba was jumping for the ball and the two clashed in the air with that degree of force, I wouldn’t call for a foul. But Saliba wasn’t trying to compete for the ball at all – he barges (gently, I’ll grant you) a player who’s just jumped away from the ball just as that player is about to make contact with it.
If, anywhere else on the pitch, one player jumped to head the ball and another runs up and pushes him away from the ball as he’s making contact with it, that’d be called for a foul. Normally you expect the referee to be even quicker to call a foul where players impede a keeper, but there is such a mystique around Arsenal and their strong set pieces that they just get a pass.
At one point in the Second half, Raya dealt well with a free kick while de Ligt was jumping for it and the MotD commentator praised him saying “that’s what Bayindir should’ve done”. But it’s a pretty interesting counter-example because de Ligt gets close to the keeper, keeps his eye on the ball and jumps vertically to try and challenge for it. It’s nothing to do with the players having physical contact and one being strong and the other not – if de Ligt makes zero attempt to play the ball and just backed into Raya after he jumped, Raya would’ve been further away from the ball and maybe his punch on the ball would’ve not connected properly and been weaker…
But, like, nowhere near as weak as Bayindir was, because it was pathetic. You know Arsenal are going to pull that crap at set pieces and are likely to get away with it, you need to be ready to deal with it and United weren’t. Difficult to feel too aggrieved.
Andy (MUFC)
Dear Red Herring,
Let’s be serious, man. No one wants to watch football with the rule book as company (xRules?). The tears are getting more delicious by the day.
Cite all your favorite examples of Arsenal’s set piece shenanigans, but it won’t change the fact that what you’re complaining about is a SKILL ISSUE. Man Utd tried the same dark arts on their set pieces (De Ligt was the guiltiest party), but it didn’t work because your team aren’t good enough and David Raya is quite good at using his hands to punch the spherical object he’s paid to keep out of the net thingy.
Aston Villa had a player hold Aaron Ramsdale in place as Douglas Luis scored an Olimpico at The Emirates, and like the esteemed editor, I don’t recall you writing in to complain about goalkeeper obstruction back then. Like most, you probably thought it was hilarious. The same way I think Bayindir’s noodle arm is hilarious.
How about you take a hint from Ruben Amorim and consider expecting your goalkeepers to take advantage of the fact that they get to use their hands?
1-0 to the Arsenal, amigo. Drink it in.
Cheers,
Deen (AFC, USA)
The Premier League is a caricature
Do you ever get the feeling that the Premier League has become a caricature of itself? I mean, in the first week we had:
*Bournemouth giving Liverpool a good game and losing
*Manchester City crushing inferior opposition with two goals from Erling Haaland
*Chelsea, playing at home, failing to keep pace with the leaders
*Brighton giving away a late goal to drop two points
*A Scott Parker team beaten to nil
*West Ham in crisis
Then, to top it off:
*Arsenal defeating Manchester United 1-0 on a set piece involving a goalkeeper error
And then, to top it off even more:
* A David Moyes team getting outshot 21-7, ready to come away with a 0-0 draw, losing on a disputed handball
Peter G, Pennsylvania, USA (still love the league)
VAR
1st weekend, first terrible var decision. Footballers have arms, when they try to tuck them behind their back it’s NOT in an “unnatural” position. VAR has started the season as it has been for years. Absolute bollocks. Bin it for everyone’s sanity. Offsides only and then feet not body.
Tony
You bet I’m gonna bring it up. Never a penalty in a million years against Tarkowski but the referee couldn’t wait to give it. Where is VAR to assist the referee and letting him know that that’s not a penalty?
Too early for this shit.
TX Bill (Premier league officiating is the worst) EFC
Fanboying
(We have no record of you ever sending a mail before – Ed)
Magnificent. This brought me my only true smile and chuckle today. Thank you.
thayden
