Happy bloody whatever day it is. Thursday?
So yesterday I dropped a less subbed version of the match report than I intended. I mean, I’m not the best at the best of the best times. But that was a draft because the final version didn’t save.
Anyway, soz babes.
Moving onto the menu for today.
5 THINGS I LOVED ABOUT BAYERN (because you know what, Arianna Huffington said joy sells.)
Hector BELLERIN
Yeah. He’s a new favourite. You know, until Chambo gets his shit together and starts smashing it up. The lad is absolute mustard. He’s one of the most exciting right backs I’ve had the pleasure of. There’s almost no ball he can’t make. He’s gutsy, instinctive and he’s starting to bring a potence to his delivery that is unacceptable for a 19 year old.
The only sad part about his ascension is that he’s got that Barca DNA all over his genetics. How long before they’re sniffing around? Bastards. Still, right now, we’ve got an absolute beauty of a player. Enjoy him. He can defend and cross (#SagnaWasCrap) and he’s way sexy for a child.
Petr Cech is payin’ his bills…
I mean, I feel like this was the most obvious flaw in our setup since Lehmann left. Now we finally have a great keeper and it’s all like, way better and stuff.
Imagine that? I just can’t believe it took so long. He’s composed, he’s calm and he’s an absolute leader. It makes me so happy to see him on the pitch. No more arguing with fans about the weakness of our two substandard deputies. This is it. This is the player you need guarding that net.
The fans…
Bayern fans dropped a protest about their £64 Arsenal ticket by boycotting their seats for 5 minutes. That cost them 5% of the game costing them another £3.20. Talk about making things worse for yourselves.
German fans get it cheap, I mean, bitching about expensive tickets when you already get a mega cheap one is a bit cheeky if you ask me… especially as Germany is the richest country in Europe.
Anyway, my point here is that they did something that required solidarity. Arsenal fans / English fans don’t seem capable of that. I wonder why that is? Is it because cheap tickets is a broken record? Is it because most people that go just stomach the cost? Is it because David Cameron and George Osborne made the economy just too damn good?
It’s a tough one. I marvelled at the Germans… mostly because I know we couldn’t organise something like that ourselves.
Tactics…
Some people were moaning about being dominated by possession. Give it a rest. If you couldn’t enjoy a tactical masterclass of which we’ve been on the receiving end of on so many occasions over the last 20 years, well, you’re a misery.
The other night was an expert showing of what smarter thinking can do for a club. You still have the odd person who seems to think that we’ve always prepared like that… well, they’re wrong. Arsenal have been doing this for about a year and we’re reaping the rewards now. We are consistent big game performers. Which is excellent news for the season. This was always my point way back when… if we’d planned in the same way we are now, ten years ago, our trophy haul would have been immeasurably larger, even under the constraints.
Right back in the mixer!
So we’re now right back in the mix. A lot of work to do. A draw or an away win at Bayern would be excellent. But there’s a chance we could make the next round now.
Credit to the manager. Credit to the players. Credit to the belief. I know most Arsenal fans were not sensing a victory there (I was, because Wenger ALWAYS does this). Excellent work.
Now all we have to do is make sure we tank Everton at the weekend.
Originally published at le-grove.co.uk on October 22, 2015.
