That’s the way it usually works with us and Arsenal, could get a score draw as Arsenal have a soft centre and are suspect defensively. I have a feeling that this season we will be better away than at home, OK Brighton and Leeds were very poor, but other performances on the road on the whole have been decent and for some reason we look to have more threat (whereas at home, we haven’t played well since the opening day).
This isn't anywhere near as true now they've cemented that first-choice pairing of Gabriel and Ben White, and Tomiyasu has been pretty instantly impactful for them to boot - they're actually unbeaten with him in the team.
After the Athletic article I'm confident that the club know exactly what they're doing with our defence. Can see us being resolute and immovable, as the club's clever, long term strategy pays off and we get one of our occasional wins against the big boys. The silent majority nod knowingly, as their constant faith in Gino and Dux shows through. Bedwetters get called out all over Social Media. Arsenal 5 - 0 Watford.
The only hope we have is that every time it looks like Arsenal are getting their act together, they sh*t their pants and get a couple of awful results. Note: I still expect us to lose by at least two goals to them.
Arsenal showing what happens when you invest in defence. Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tierney/Tavares is a hell of a lot better than what they were churning out the last few years. Smith-Rowe is developing at an alarming rate. We need a freak result. Penalties, own goals... some massive stroke of luck. The worst part is that Arsenal are one of the "easier" of the next 5 fixtures. God help us.
Our only hope here is that for once we’re not playing a team who have yet to win/are below us in the table/haven’t won away for 17 games/have scored the fewest goals in the league, so there isn’t anything we can bend over and gift Arsenal like we have done in seemingly every other game.
Didn't say you did The fact is though that we can't afford to replace our poor defence with expensive quality. Our issue last season was scoring goals and carrying poor strikers in Deeney, Gray, Pen, Success and Perica. Given the excellent defensive record, and Hughes & Chalo not-resigning, I completely understand why they considered other areas the priority for investment, though the fee spent on Louza looks odd.
Well that’s it though isn’t it? Don’t pile cash at Mogi Bayet on a prospect who can’t contribute and use the funds on a half competent fullback and centre back (even if on loan). That would have probably made the transfer window as perfect as it could have been in the circumstances. But they decided to keep their mate happy and at the same time significantly reduced our survival prospects.
Foster Ngakia Nkoulou Sierralta Rose Sarr Sissoko Tufan Kucka Dennis King Anything else and it's Ranieri out.
I'm not ITK but as I posted elsewhere my guess is that they owe him some form of "retainer" fee for getting first pick of the likes of Dennis et al and accounting wise it might be better to add that to the cost of a particular player (so it can be capitalised) rather than expense as a general fee ? Otherwise it just seems a really odd deal to do when cash is short.
Im sure there is all sorts of stuff they do like that. Not that it makes it any better shovelling him cash getting first pick of Sven Kums , Obbi Oulare and Kabasele while Dendoncker ends up at Wolves. either way it stinks.
We need to stop leaking goals and build from the back. Simple? Well not really. Injuries to Rose, Femenia, Kabasele, Sierralta. Nkoulou hasn't played for many months. Cathcart and WTE are struggling for any kind of form. So maybe (as suggested on here and elsewhere) protect the defence a bit more with a defensive midfielder (or two) 'sitting' in front of the back four? Well not really, we don't seem to have even one. Ranieri said in the WO that Lousa was most suited to the role but he is not fit enough or strong enough at the moment. How about playing 3 CB's? Well not really, we haven't hardly got 2 fit as it is. I know, let's try something that the opposition wouldn't ever be expecting, like an old fashioned 'sweeper' system with a player sweeping up behind a shaky defence. Well not really, even if it were a good idea and I'm not sure it is, we don't have a player who could do this either - he would need to be able to read the game defensivley and cover quickly - and the cupboard is bare there as well. So what does Ranieri do, apart from pray? Well I really don't know, but I'll be there hoping for another miracle after the one at Goodison, COYH!
The answer is obvious, a back three of Cathcart, WTE and Masina. I've been saying we should try Masina at the back ever since Adam Leventhal told us he could play there. Plus we have Rose who is in peak physical condition so perfect for wing back. Then we have Kiko on the other side who is great at wing back as long as he doesn't have to defend and his hip/thigh/hamstring/calf/ankle doesn't go in the first 20 minutes.
I would like us to win , going to be a very bad end to the year if we don’t get something from the next few games
Agreed, but let's be honest, he has much more of a chance of doing something against Arsenal than most of the rest of the squad.
I suppose it might be one of the 1 in 5 games where he decides to involve himself in the match. Otherwise it will be obvious early on and I hope Claudio subs him off before half time.
I do agree but he scored a couple goals that season, without them we'd of been 4 points off safety and relegated the game before.
Oddly more confident about this than the Soton game. Soton was a nailed on disappointment (as it always is), this one is more of a wildcard match. We seem well set up as away team this season, a combination of ridiculous pace and opponents assuming we will be an easy 3 points. We are 18th in the 'home table', but a comfortable 11th in the 'away table' with 2/3 of our goals being away from home. So we have a chance. But our defensive is very, very weak right now so we will need to rely on pure, blind luck and profligacy from our hosts to stay in the game. If we hang in there I can see us picking up goals in the second half. Although in my heart I know we will be 2-0 down after 15 minutes. Prediction Arsenal 2-7 Watford Smith-Rowe (8, 14); Cathcart (68, 74, 79, 81, 86, 90+1), Foster (pen 90+6)
