Stoke City v Arsenal – Reasons to be Cheerful or Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now
Stoke City v Arsenal 26 August 2012 New Badge Hoarding
Intentons are that just a few of my thoughts from every game I attend this season will be published as a blog.
These will take the form of positive and negative thoughts and observations, Reasons to be cheerful, Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now.
Not sure how long I’ll keep it up for but as The Ramones once said Hey Ho, Let’s Go!
Reasons To Be Cheerful
KIGHTLY very comfortable on the ball, could be the start of a fresh Pulis approach for potters football. It was great to see the ball bought down and possession retained during the midfield melees.
CAMERON again comfortable with the ball, seemed unusual for Pulis to trust a newbie in such an important game but his presence paid off. Some nice touches, not 100% certain that he was the best player on the pitch but can’t think of many more players that could have took the man of the match award.
LAME SUBSTITUTIONS
To be honest, most premier league teams would love the ability to have Aaron Ramsey, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott being impact substitutions. Wenger launched all three and they were about effective as an ashtray on a motorbike.
PROGRESSION
Was Begovic playing the ball short to the back four real progression or just a tactic to draw Arsenal out from their own half while we lumped it forward? It seemed awkward at times and we nearly got caught short when there was an awkward short back pass. The jury is out on this currently!
THE WEATHER
The heat of the sun on the walk on home will be all but a distant memory in a couple of months. It’s a rare occasion when the sun shines on Ice Station Britannia so let’s hold the memory of that warmth for now.
Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now
I would have involved Delap and the monster longthrow at some point. Okay I accept that he’s seen better days and is a squad player now but that the Longthrow has always been Arsenal’s weakness at the Brit and we never really had a quality low trajectory throw that tested their dodgy defence out.
Arsene wearing an invisible straight jacket. We love his histrionics as he bounces up the touchline trying to take off, flapping his duvet, but today he held back and seemed to have his hands tied back as if he’d been Christian Grey’s latest conquest (a reference for the ladies! 50 shades of grey)
Progression
I know it was a reason to be cheerful or is it? We had a year known as the binary season – Most games ended 1-0, 0-0, 0r 0-1. Is this season a return to that style? Not the most entertaining but at least the consistency meant you could make a few quid at the bookies!
Rumour Mill
Asmir off to Chelsea with Daniel Sturridge being loaned to Stoke.
Song of the Day
“Robin Van Persie – He Would Have Scored That”
Most Mentioned non Stoke City Player
Michael Owen who sat on the Goals on Sunday Settee
Michael Owen Joins Goals On Sunday
Line ups
Stoke City:
Begovic, Wilkinson, Huth, Shawcross, Wilson, Pennant, Cameron, Whelan, Kightly, Walters, Crouch.
Subs: Sorensen, Palacios, Jones, Upson, Delap, Shotton, Jerome.
Arsenal:
Mannone, Jenkinson, Vermaelen, Mertesacker, Gibbs, Podolski, Diaby, Arteta, Cazorla, Gervinho, Giroud.
Subs: Martinez, Santos, Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ramsey, Djourou, Coquelin
Enjoy a few snaps from the day below
Stoke City v Arsenal 26 August 2012 The Stewards have delivered Arsene’s Flak Jacket
Car Park, Bike and Arsene Wenger Mask
Stoke City v Arsenal 26 August 2012 Programme Back
Stoke City v Arsenal 26 August 2012 Pitch view pre match