I'm sitting in a coffee shop in Borneo writing this, and I'm quite smug. Why's that you ask? Let me see:
I witnessed a good ol' one-nil to the Arsenal. Against Sp*rs. At White Hart Lane. To make it three consecutive beatings this season (I like the term 'beatings' over 'wins' when it comes to Sp*rs, it seems more fitting somehow). We are in strong contention to qualify for the Champions League for the umpteenth time whilst that lot over there are having to settle, once again, for the Europa 'Special'
League that, let's face it, isn't any more salubrious than the 'UEFA Cup' which preceded it. We're also within a shout of winning the FA Cup and, whilst it's a long shot, the possibility to lift the Premier League trophy too. It. Just. Might. Happen.
Meanwhile Tim Sherwood is trying to eat his own face.
![]() |
Podolski. I think he likes it here |
Meanwhile Tim Sherwood is trying to eat his own face.
Sunday's game at the Lane of Farts was an odd one though. We went ahead after two minutes, courtesy of an absolute stunner by that man Tom Ross. It will go down as one of the great derby goals, although lets face it, there have been many, many, many good ones netted against them over the years. Once the ball had ripped its way through the back of the net and scorched on towards Essex, we had a few clear chances to really put the game to bed but, with the Ox failing to find his shooting boots (even his 'assist' for Rosicky was questionable) we were once again left squandering our opportunities. It was another one of those matches where we carved out a result despite accepting that at any point we could have drawn, or even lost the tie.
It's because we simply aren't ruthless enough. I'm perfectly happy with us winning every game by a single goal to clinch the title, but we all know that's about as probable as Nicky Bendtner passing a sobriety test on a Saturday morning. We have a solid defensive pairing in Mertescielny at the back but even they can't stop the inevitable few goals from creeping in, be it as a result of a calamity from Szczesny, a slip (or late tackle) from Kos or simply a stunning bit of individual play, like Deulofeu's equaliser against us earlier in the season. We can't assume we're going to get these one-nils all the time.
It's because we simply aren't ruthless enough. I'm perfectly happy with us winning every game by a single goal to clinch the title, but we all know that's about as probable as Nicky Bendtner passing a sobriety test on a Saturday morning. We have a solid defensive pairing in Mertescielny at the back but even they can't stop the inevitable few goals from creeping in, be it as a result of a calamity from Szczesny, a slip (or late tackle) from Kos or simply a stunning bit of individual play, like Deulofeu's equaliser against us earlier in the season. We can't assume we're going to get these one-nils all the time.
![]() |
Nice |
Arsenal's chance-taking is getting better, and it's become evident over the past few weeks. Our game is now more direct, which I can only see as a good thing (everybody knows Arsenal are the world-leader in passing the ball from one player to the other horizontally whilst avoiding shooting at every opportunity). It's no coincidence that we are without the likes of Ramsey, Wilshere, Özil and Walcott and yet our attacking has become more fluent and aggressive. The absence of the aforementioned has presented the likes of Rosicky and Oxlade-Chamberlain – arguably our most direct players - with the opportunity to demonstrate their worth, and boy have they done just that.
It's not just about ability, Özil and the others have that in spades. It's about mentality, it's about having balls, 'enterprise' if you like, and taking the game by the scruff of the neck, inviting tackles in as we move forward the moment we have the ball and accepting that a move may or may not pay off (and that we might just lose possession). No hesitancy, just direct play, towards those white sticks some people call 'the goal'. Rosicky and the Ox are already doing it. Özil, Ramsey, Wilshere and even Walcott are not. I've seen it myself on more than one occasion where they will actually slow down their own counterattack to get the pass rate up, at which point opposing defenders have already regrouped and pushed us back into our own half. WHY!? It's bloody frustrating and I'm sure many others will agree.
We have to look at the basics, the foundations of our tactics: keeping the ball, something that has always been the Arsenal way, because if you have the ball, the opposition can't score, simples. But if that's the case, why do a good handful of the teams we play against, who average 20-40% possession in each game, still beat us? It's because they take risks with their forward play. Put simply, it's a numbers game, like anything else, be it gambling, dating or selling timeshares. The more you have a stab at it, the more likely you are to succeed. And that's the kind of mentality we need to adopt. Passes don't make goals, shots do (hey I came up with a new song!).
![]() |
A snake. Borneo |
So, with 'Clueless Pete's Guide To Winning' out of the way, I can give you a bit of an update on the charity situation. As of right now, I'm currently at the $11k mark in fundraising for the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation. If you're not aware of the motive behind this, please read more about it here. I still have another $4,000 to go, and the season ends as soon as we've lifted the FA Cup Trophy (!) in May. So I don't have long to go, but that's still a hefty amount to raise. I would really appreciate your help in achieving this goal, so please spare what you can, literally anything, and donate here.
Right now I'm in Kota Kinabalu in eastern Borneo, where I have already had some encounters with the local residents, including the Proboscis Monkey with it's massive schnozzer (related to our Olivier perhaps?). I will be watching the Chel$ea game here with the local Arsenal fans before heading back to Kuala Lumpur next week to watch my final match in Malaysia, Arsenal v Swansea.Then, at the end of the month I head to Vietnam and, last but not least, China!
For now though, selamat tinggal!
COYG
COYG
How to stop the bleeding in the uterus can be a way herbs are made dair golden sea cucumber more information, please check here. Cara Menghentikan Pendarahan Di Rahim
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteNice post thanks for sharing.
Google Chrome Customer Support
a given article is very interesting and very useful for my admin thank you very much and sorry for my permission to share the article here :
ReplyDeleteObat alami untuk hipertensi
Obat jantung bocor alami
Obat lambung bengkak
Thanks for the post.
ReplyDeleteGood article, I love it!
Visit my page: giảm cân an toàn
Thank you!
tank trouble unblocked
ReplyDeletetank trouble unblocked games
tank trouble unblocked at school
unblocked game tank trouble
tank trouble unblocked
kashmiri shawls
ReplyDeleteBuddhist Jewelry
indian jewelry
Hindu Statues
emily compagno age height wiki bio
ReplyDeleteneha kakkar height age wiki bio
his is fascinating reading. I am glad I found this and got to read it. Great job on this content. I liked it a lot. Thanks for the great and unique info. This is Pictame Online Instagram User Posts and Story web viewer.
ReplyDeleteBest IT Services Provider Company in Delhi ncr
ReplyDeletedigital marketing services in delhi ncr
web development in delhi ncr
social media marketing services in delhi ncr
ppc services in delhi ncr
Email Support number
ReplyDeleteAOL Email Customer Care Number
AT&T Email Customer Care Number
Roadrunner Customer Care Number
Verizon Customer Care Number
Yahoo Email Support
Gmail Customer Care Number
ReplyDeleteEach of the women associated with our agency is strictly professional when it comes to rendering her services to her clients.Escorts in Gurgaonhere at our escort agency make sure that their talents are such that they will never fall short of giving the best of services to their clients. Check our other Services...
Escorts Service in Gurgaon
Escorts Service in Gurgaon
Female Escorts in Gurgaon
Russian Call Girls in Gurgaon
Russian Escorts in Gurgaon
THANK YOU FOR VISITING MY WEBSITE:-
ReplyDeleterussian escorts in gurgaon
housewife escorts in gurgaon
gurgaon escort services
gurgaon escorts
escorts in gurgaon
escort services in gurgaon
gurgaon call girls
call girls in gurgaon
Very nice post, i certainly love this website, keep on it
ReplyDeleteClick Here
Visit Web
Hub.docker.com
The next time I read a blog, I hope that it doesnt disappoint me as much as this one. I mean, I know it was my choice to read, but I actually thought you have something interesting to say. All I hear is a bunch of whining about something that you could fix if you werent too busy looking for attention.
ReplyDeleteAsk-oracle.com
Information
Click Here
Visit Web