The stage appears set. Olivier Giroud has guided France to a World Cup final, and now it’s up to England to the make the most of the huge opportunity they have today and make it a weekend to remember.
The France vs Belgium game wasn’t much to write home about yesterday, I think Rory Smith wrote that they the French have appeared to be excellent at doing just enough and not a lot else through this World Cup. Strangely pragmatic considering the breadth of talent they have at their disposal. Imagine the ball they’d be playing under Wenger?
I felt they had a fairly comfortable ride against Belgium. There aren’t many things that give me more joy in life than seeing Fellaini beaten in the air at the near post. I also liked seeing the ref wise as you like to the antics of Eden Hazard. Ultimately, no one bar England fans really wanted to see Belgium in the World Cup final. At least it’ll be a spectacle now.
The England game is so exciting. Croatia has undoubtedly been pedestrian in this World Cup so far. Were it not for a few moments of luck and magic, they’d be sitting out this game. Two penalty shootouts against Denmark and Russisa tells you that midfield hasn’t quite hit Barca/Madrid levels.
That said, England has had a fairly easy ride this whole tournament, and I do think there’s been a lot nonsense about identity and likeability. It’s clouded the reality that we really haven’t created a lot of chances. I read that Harry Kane has had to feed off about 9 chances, where strikers of more creative teams are boasting 20+ chances. That’s a really poor showing, but the press is so tuned into the fact Gareth Southgate is easy to deal with in press conferences, we’ve lost a bit of perspective.
I’m not saying I haven’t enjoyed the pragmatism. I’m not denying the fact you have to deal with the teams that are put in front of you, I do like the creative formation and the results it’s landed us. All I’m saying is you have to be prepared that today could be a very different prospect. Croatia on their day can put on a show, that they haven’t so far is a positive, but it shouldn’t lure fans into a false sense of IT’S COMING HOME security.
That said, having had Three Lions brain wormed into my head for the last 3 weeks, I am starting to believe something magic is about to happen. I’m actually booked on a shoot over the World Cup final. I mean, what England fan could realistically tell someone they couldn’t make Sunday because England might be in the final? It’s written in the stars I’ll be stuck in Oregon without a way of watching the game because that’s just the way the stars align for me.
There was a lot of purring about the French backline yesterday and how young they all are. I think I’m more about the England defenders. Pickford, Mcguire, Stones and Trippier are giving me life. All Northerners, possibly coal miners in another life, just making it happen from the back. They’ve been excellent this tournament, they’ve made themselves household names, and I think they alone deserve to see the next round. I really hope Harry Mcguire is the real deal. He’s been so solid at the back, and such a threat going forward. He looks like a classic thug defender from darkest recesses of a Stoke past, but he’s actually very classy on the ball, and probably one of our most creative players. Trippier has been immense as well, his final ball is something else and his composure is very impressive.
Raheem Sterling may have lacked a bit of end product this tournament, but he’s doing a selfless job creating space and opening up the game for everyone else. It’s a shame he hasn’t scored, but that could happen today. I think the press, bar a few gammon like folk, have taken more time to judge the game he’s been offering up. The foreign press has certainly been far more analytical in his offering.
Harry Kane is another player who has taken a hit to his game. He’s not getting the service he needs to be effective in open play, but his hold up play and movement has been exceptional. Not to mention his nerves of steel under pressure. He’ll still always be a mystery to me, but there’s no doubt, he’s one of the top 5 players in the world now.
So, today is the once in a generation chance for England to make a final. Enjoy the moment, this feeling of hope doesn’t come along that often.
See you in the comments.
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Jack wilshere to captain west ham and arsenal at the same time lol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jE6zjlQyLJc
Re “BRAZILIANS” calling Mbappe Donatello. This is a video of Presnel Kimpembe, PSG’s CB and he surely isn’t a Brazilian. Tbh Mbappe doesn’t look all that bothered by it. Why would you? It’s not bad of a nickname – it’s a freakin TMNT. Who wouldn’t like to be nicknamed after one?!
Ronaldo is on £500 000 a week at Juventus, we pay Ozil £350 000 a week, we certainly can meet the wages of the top stars especially if we pay players their worth elsewhere. For example, getting rid of Wilshere who was on close to £100 000 a week and getting in Torreira on £50 0000. Getting rid of Cazorla who was on close to £100 000 and yet would not have regularly played, getting rid of Walcott who was on £140 000 a week etc. Arsenal will have an escalation in money next year with the UCL, new kit… Read more »
ES,
Now that you brought Lemar in to the talk, going from 14 goals and 14 assits in 2016/17, to just 3 goals and 8 assists in 17/18 is quite the drop in numbers. His all round game wasn’t the best either, from what I’ve read. Mental we were about to spend this much money on him. Would rather buy Osmane Dembele from Barca for probably less than that, or Martial for a lot less than that.
Lemar’s numbers on whoscored were virtually identical to the season before barring his goals return.
Which admittedly dropped off substantially, but tbf when you look at the calibre of players that Monaco lost in Bernardo Silva, M’Bappe, Bakayoko and Mendy who played down Lemar’s wing and was crucial to them going forward it#s not that surprising.
No one was spending £90m on Lemar. That was “we tried but he didn’t want to come” bullshit from Arsenes PR team.
How many of these kind of last minute no hope of landing type bids have we put in over the last decade?
Don’t believe the hype…do do don’t believe the hype.
If we could get Martial then this would be the perfect summer, Mkhitaryan, Aubameyang, Martial would be some front line.
It’s good to see Arsenal being modern in their thinking signing Guendouzi. He’s blatantly gay. Good on Arsenal.
Martial would cost £70m. Where do we get that from?
£30m for the welsh guy.
Pocket change for the rest…£20m.
Nah, out of our league.
Actually laughed out loud at that Radio Raheem
Not quite as gay looking as Chamakh was but pretty gay yep.
Raptora
I agree. It was last minute desperation that resulted in offer when we had possibility of selling Sanchez for £60 million.
However, the main point I am making and indeed was made by Hill-Wood when he was Chair of Arsenal is that there are very few players that Arsenal cannot afford to buy or compete with other clubs.
The major difference between Man City and ourselves is that we can afford to
buy perhaps one world class player every year whilst they can recruit two or
three.
WengerEagle
“Yeah think Croatia’s only chance really is if Perisic, Rebic, Mandzukic all have the game of their life and Modric-Rakitic-Brozovic win the midfield battle”
Lol They are playing France not Brazil 1970
Cesc Appeal
July 12, 2018 14:40:17
Well said Cesc.
And this is where the issue lies, Arsenal need to prioritise on who should be getting the big bucks and who shouldn’t. Arsenal can easily pay out £500k p/w, but we simply wouldn’t as no player in their right mind can command that outside of Ronaldo, Messi and maybe Neymar.
One further point Bayern Munich are I believe the fourth wealthiest football
club in Europe.
Yet they have spent only one more than £100 million in a transfer window and
the most that they have spent on a single footballer was on Tolisso last year
when they paid £34 million for him.
In most transfer windows they do not spend more than we do.
What we are seeing now with the new management at club is much smarter
transfer business. Whether it is good enough to compete with two Manchester clubs remains to be seen.
@Emiratesstroller –
“In most transfer windows they do not spend more than we do.”
We also don’t have the best talent in the PL running out their contracts so they can join us on a free…
“I just hope the french dressing room doesnt SPLINTER!”
No chance Gambon.
They are ROCKSTEADY!
Bayern’s activity has to come with the biggest caveat of all: They have a complete monopoly on des Bundesliga.
In real terms, Hummels should’ve been a £50m signing.
Rambo
I assume that seeing as Arsenal are putting significant resources into social media, they want to be first with content, or at least have time for video editing etc to push stuff out at the same time as the print press.
Jim Lahey
That may be the case but they are not able to recruit players of calibre of Lewandowski and Goretzka on bosmans every year.
They have still got to buy players and pay transfer fees at market rates as they
did with the likes of Neuer, Hummels and Ribery.
Let’s be honest Wenger despite his economics degree was never a particularly astute businessman. He got lucky at start of career in acquiring Anelka, Henry
and Vieira spending peanuts on them but when there was market competition
we struggled because there was no flexibility in his mindset.
Felipe Anderson is a cracking signing for West Ham.
Wanted him myself at Arsenal, expect him to enjoy as much success over here as Payet did.
I might add that many clubs owners and senior management saw also Arsenal’s
burgeoning bank balance and wanted a chunk of it if they sold to us.
Carts
They paid the full market price for both Hummels and Neuer when they bought them.
The prices escalated for goalkeepers and defenders when Man City entered the market last summer. I think that £30-35 Million was at the top of scale for a world class goalkeeper on centre back before then.
What a world cup, down to the final. Going to miss the constant action although my liver will enjoy the break.
Incredible how many minutes Croatia have played in the knockouts yet still found the extra gear last night, it was curtains after the equalizer.
What we reckon for final, I don’t see Croatia getting past Les Bleus, they’ve matured into winners. Looking like Spain on cusp of winning their cup with much more to come.
West Ham did have a similar good summer not too long ago and it all went to pieces
Conte finally fired then
Interesting to hear Emery say that Arsenal’s transfer business is basically done, or that he’s happy, not clear but that if one opportunity comes up we will take it.
Feeds into the narrative of that one massive signing.
Wonder where is next for Conte.
No real big clubs anywhere with a managerial vacancy right now. Might take a year sabbatical and wait it out.
WE
I think he will take a break, potentially Munich and Madrid could open up if the left field managerial appointments there don’t work out.
I mean I hope that’s not our business done. I mean just Sokratis added to a defence that conceded 60+ goals doesn’t fill me with confidence. Torreira while I like the signing will have to do the work of two men if he’s playing alongside Xhaka or Ramsey and still have got zero wingers in the whole squad. Still not good enough for a title challenge obviously and still question marks over top 4.
Joke of the week:
https://www.101greatgoals.com/news/arsene-wenger-shock-candidate-for-german-job-as-low-considers-chelsea/
I really think it will be the easiest World Cup final anyone has had for a while.”
The last two WC finals have been ruined by one team playing the “let’s get this to penalties” strategy.
Argentina.
Holland.
I’m still not convinced it is, I’m not sure Mustafi will be an Arsenal player by the end of the window, Elneny as well the difficulty with him is he seems quite happy to sit on the bench and doesn’t want to move. Looking forward to seeing what Maitland Niles and Guendouzi can do in the Europa League though, been a while since we’ve had any midfield prospects. If Nketiah doesn’t go out on loan play him against the early Europa League opposition with Lacazette, Ozil behind them and then Elneny, if he’s here, Maitland Niles and Guendouzi in midfield.… Read more »
ES
Yes they paid for Hummels and Neuer, but it’s also indicative of their ridiculous reach across the entire league.
They got Lewandowski on a free, ffs. Although BVB were stupid for not just selling when they had the chance too.
Are you forgetting that Juventus broke the WR for a GK about 17 years ago.
In fact, it could be argued that Serie A, set the precedent for some wild spending. The only difference is that the trend didn’t cotton on for a while after that.
What we reckon for final, I don’t see Croatia getting past Les Bleus, they’ve matured into winners. Looking like Spain on cusp of winning their cup with much more to come.”
Never count out a French choke. They win Sunday but don’t know if they have the moxy to go on and win and win.
Unai Emery was asked about Aaron Ramsey’s future at his press conference on Thursday.
“I’m very happy with him,” said Emery. “For me, every day, every training session, he has the ambition I want. He’s working with a quality, the type of ability that I want. I want to work with him.
———————————————
Oh dear, looks like Pierre will be drinking heavily tonight
“Guendouzi ”
Confirmed?
Rambo
Haha.
Ramsey was always going to be an Emery type player, Mkhitaryan will be a favourite of his as well.
Tits
Yesterday he was confirmed.
Tits
How is that for a nice change though, you can’t even keep up with who we’re signing!
How is that for a nice change though, you can’t even keep up with who we’re signing!”
Amazing what difference a “plan” can make. I don’t know if Emeri will work out but “trying” to find the right manager is a hell of a lot better than sticking with a proven failure.
Going to use one of Carts greats here…
Saw Guendouzi in Vauxhall park, lad asked me what time it was repeatedly, smart phone in hand.
Love how Emery opened his response to this question- on whether he thinks tactics will change from Arsene Wenger’s reign…
“I want to win.”
Lololol. Nothing much needed to be said really.
Tits
A plan and allowing actual professionals who actually know what they’re doing to do their jobs and not centralising power in one dinosaur.
I mean, it was a ballsy move because who honestly could have thought it could have worked!
Shared responsibility in professional experienced individuals.
F**k why did we have to put up with him for so long.
Emery- “We are also thinking about the players who were with us last year and whether we need them to stay with us.”
Good, no more sentimental bullshit. Move out the dross.
Rambo
Also like how he says he hasn’t spoken to him either, not the usually stuff we had to have when he was here from players to the tea lady saying they signed on at Arsenal to work for Wenger, serve him tea, clean his car, smell his farts etc.
“Still not good enough for a title challenge obviously and still question marks over top 4.”
In your opinion…
Always remember to add that when u make definitive statements like that..there aren’t facts there are your opinions which u are entitled to.
Conte is a top, top manager. I hope he does well in his career and maybe be a manager of Arsenal one day.
Barcelona with second offer for Willian. Are they trying to get a Dembele replacement already?
And what happened with Grizz to Barca?
The rest as well, think of the rest in the week and think of Chelsea and Liverpool in their great seasons, Leicester as well. It was wasted on Wenger, it won’t be wasted on Emery and a fuller and actually competitive and sport focused squad. A fresh and rested Aubameyang, Ramsey, Torreira, Mkhitaryan etc every single weekend for the opposition to face with an actual manager now. There will be some worried teams in the EPL watching Arsenal right now taking a long term view. City, United, Spurs, Chelsea, Liverpool the lot of them will have been gutted to see… Read more »
What’s with all the mickey mouser talk.who gives a shit about the dippers.only news I want to hear is Real Madrid going after salah.now that would really screw em.
Barca just signed a defender from Sevilla for 35.9m euros , they Sevilla bought the player from Nantes for 3.5m euros in January 2017.
That is how a proper football club is run. You must not be rich to compete, do all you can with the resources available to you.
Well opponent’s fans were taking the piss on Wenger by singing “We want you to stay” chant to him. Our fans in return were signing the same. o_O I’ve lost hope that things could change.
We should be a lot more competitive for top 4 that’s for sure. Naive to think(although not impossible as it happened with Chelsea but their roster was stacked) that we’ll have a complete 180 but we should trend in the opposite direction from day 1 I think.
Langlet is a great transfer for them. Very good CB and just 23 yo.
Well maybe day 2 since day 1 is city 🙂
Unlike some i do not really care for “Marquee” signings.
I care for a team that does all it can on the pitch to win a football match, one match at a time.
We have enough quality in this squad to compete in this league.
More of Emery I see, I like. Seems very thoughtful and measured. Very impressed with his answers in English as well.
Not perfect but perfectly understandable.
When asked if he is going to be different than Wenger, I liked the fact he answered the question without hesitation…”I want to win.”
Good that he has winner’s mentality from the off.
*he has a
Carts Yes I was aware that the fee paid for Buffon was more than £45 million+, but Neuer was the second most expensive goalkeeper until recently. Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, Man Utd and PSG have not spent that much on a goalkeeper. For the record when you look at Arsenal’s spend 1. Ozil was the record transfer in EPL when we bought him. 2.I believe that Mustafi was the second most expensive CB when we paid £36 million. Only Rio Ferdinand cost more. 3.Aubameyang is the second most expensive Striker in EPL after Lukaku. So we have not been exactly… Read more »
“Going to use one of Carts greats here… Saw Guendouzi in Vauxhall park, lad asked me what time it was repeatedly, smart phone in hand.”
LMFAO
http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11670/11434336/unai-emery-believes-arsenal-transfer-business-is-complete
“I want to work with Petr Cech, Bernd Leno, Emilio Martinez, Matt Macey, David Ospina”
Cech and Ospina ??
For the Carambarao Cup maybe ?? FFS…
Good thing not going for Nzonzi – another decent player but would not have much difference, specially when you know he is 30
HighburyLegend
What was your first reaction when we signed the Chelsea reject. ?
Like many fans, I didn’t realize at that time that he was already finished, and that it was principally for that reason that Abramovich was ok to sell him to Arsenal for a cheap price.
And it didn’t took us too long for us to see that his best years were behind him…
No one seems to be batting an eyelid that Barca have so far bid 60m pounds for 30 year old Willian.
It’s the 25m for same age Nzonzi that seems to be an issue
Ishola70 giving it big around i see…big man on here
HighburyLegend
“Like many fans, I didn’t realize at that time that he was already finished, and that it was principally for that reason that Abramovich was ok to sell him to Arsenal for a cheap price.”
No surprise you was duped, you’re f****** clueless lol
HL lool you walked right into that one from Red
When Modric comes in front and says that English journos have to be more humble and respectful, you know that there was something wrong in their ways. They and the gash football showed by Gareth “THE REVOLUTIONIST” Southgate,made so many neutrals turn their backs on England.
Have to say i’m very curious to see how Emery’s go us lining up day 1 vs City.
ES
maybe not penny pinchers as such; however my angle is that we neglected areas where there was no need to, in the past ?
It’s a case of disproportionately allocating money to wrong areas
….. got
Anyone here going to see Boreham Wood v Arsenal Saturday? I’ve seen most games over the last few years as was born there but we (Arsenal) mainly played the yoots. This time Auba and Mikki are confirmed as playing, can’t wait. BWood Manager is a life long Gooner and says he’s going to be the first manager to shake Emery’s hand before a game, quality.
New post.