The concept of the modern marathon was inspired by a Greek football fan that legged it from the site of Marathon to Athens to deliver a scoreline, the distance was 25 or so miles. The message was about an important game in which a Greek football team defeated a Persian one (they had good football back then). The messenger died, so to commemorate this heroic football nut, they have marathons around the world.
The point of my story is this… if Emery doesn’t achieve anything in his Arsenal career, but manages to shift on Elneny and Mustafi, I’ll name a special day after him. I’ll petition the club to give him a stand. I’ll get on the blower to the Pope and ask how you go about Sainthoods.
This is what Saint Unai said of the pair yesterday.
“They are very big players but for one circumstance or another they are going to have fewer chances to show their capacity or to be happy with us and the minutes they play in matches,” Emery said. “But they know the situation and really I am wishing the best for them. I think now the best for them is to be protagonists in another team and to get another challenge for themselves.”
“Last year with Mustafi and Mo, when they didn’t play they weren’t happy and I spoke with them a lot of times last year and this pre-season,”
“I think it is positive for them to leave and sign for another team where they can be protagonists and be happy and continue their careers.”
I firm up when I read vicious quotes like that. When did Wenger EVER talk that aggressively about his babies? Never.
I am also warmed to hear that the players like to play. Those two are too young to ride out a fat contract. By sitting on deals, they take themselves out of the shop window, their games get rusty and clubs around Europe frame them as a pair of Winston Bogarde’s. If you’re young, you should want to play football, even if that’s at a cost of a few grand a week.
To ride out a deal takes a special sort of person. Someone with a character big enough not to be impacted by the humiliation of being benched.
Both players have value. Mustafi has a lot of good going in his game. He’s played all around the world. He’s made of strong stuff. He just needs a really good defensive coach to beast him into not being so dim. Elneny is just at the wrong level of club. He needs to go to Italy or a middling club in Spain.
Both need to move off that wage bill.
In loan news, it was great to see Eddddddiiiiiieeeeeeee score his second goal at Leeds. I really think he could be a blistering talent if he’s given the chance. I love that he’s at Leeds learning under Bielsa. He’s going to learn to be more decisive, he’ll build confidence from the goals, he’ll get tougher under the brutal conditions of the Championship. It should be a very good year for him.
Hector Bellerin went OFF on the mighty Ceballos.
“I think Dani’s one of the best players I’ve seen in my career. I’ve played with him since we were like 18 or 19 years old. We’ve played in the under-21s, we get on really well off the pitch”
“He’s up for it & he’s a player who will go through thick & thin to do the best for his team. He’s got a great heart & he plays for everyone around him. I think he’s a great addition”
LOVE TO READ IT.
David Ornstein continues to drop beads of gold onto the newsfeed. Again, clarifying the authoritarian regime that Arsene Wenger ran.
Power really is a corrupting force. When you’re succeeding, the last thing you should do is build a team of yes men around you. That’s what Wenger did, then when things started to fail, he had no answers. He wanted to wear every hat. You do wonder what he could have achieved if he’d ripped out his back team and installed up and coming coaches. What would our trophy cabinet have looked like if he’d had a more powerful CEO next to him that insisted on owning the infrastructure?
Wenger could still be a player if he’d allowed other people to develop his ideas… but he didn’t, and now he’s watering the flowers in a very green garden in North London.
“The meetings used to be just between Kroenke and Wenger”@bbcsport_david on how changes in personnel at the top have made #Arsenal ‘more proactive in the transfer market’.
📲⚽️https://t.co/0kUniWPgQm pic.twitter.com/hYbAsfqO5M
— BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) August 20, 2019
Right, that’s me done. Listen to this podcast before the Liverpool game tomorrow.
Nelson
Guendouzi prefers to drift left.
I think Willock and Xhaka in the middle.
Pépé on the right. Ceballos as an #8/10
Mane is the danger man and for me he has always been their numero uno player ahead of even Salah. Tough test for AMN today.
Looks like it’s set up to counter and contest the midfield. I don’t get the doomsayers is it because Lacazette glueman is dropped? He’s not fit/should be a super sub anyhow
@un na nai, it’s all cool bro. I’m done throwing stones at every barking dog
Just knew CP couldn’t hold this up, thanks to zaha
On second thought, this formation makes sense against the Pool who is strong in the FBs and Wingers. We’ll have our two mobile players, Guen and Willock helping out the two flanks.
Has our £35m Xhaka been specifically instructed to resist the temptation of tripping harmlessly positioned players in our box?
The mighty Watford are wank. Who knew
Sad Laca doesn’t start.
Zaha just assisted Man U.
And messed another goal up the other end.
I expect them to start offering him around in January if he continues to stink the place out.
Good riddance…
I’m expecting Pepe to hold up the ball and win a lot of fouls.
Ole wishes he could get on the pitch lol
Palace goal!!
Looool
What was that about Zaha?
Van Anholt scores.
Fk yes! YOOOONITED
Nice one there for CP
Palace 2-1 up. Lol
Woah CP lead again
PAAAAALLLLAAACEEE
Did he mess up lol?
De Gea fault. Happens.
Like the formation 95%. Monreal against Salah worries me but looks like Willock will help cover that side. I see the need for Xhaka if we want to catch them on quick counters……..good idea. Xhaka just can’t dwell on the ball today.
Thank goodness we didn’t buy Zaha.
Martial might have injured his hamstring as well. Come back Alexis all is forgiven
Zaha is good. Accessing players after one game though. He’s been brilliant for CP for couple of seasons. Why do you think they were SO desperate to keep him? He didn’t assist but if he doesn’t take on 2-3 players, CP’s goal doesn’t happen.
Lol @ United …so much spent to build so little.
Jesus, a point today would be tremendous for us.
Sup? ladies.… huge match today…. seems way too early for this… disappointed by Xhaka starting but not surprised.. He is a fav and our Capt. Not gonna beat Emery with it.. anymore it is what it is… he will either perform or get sacked for his decisions.
Off topic.. but De Gea is my new favorite United player. . 😀 hahahaha what a clanger.
I would be amazed if ManU make top ten this season.
A team without a striker spending £130m on two defenders.
Mid
What time is it 10 or something ?
All away sides won today. A sign of things to come?
Meanwhile @united
Hahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahaaha….
Ed Woodward is an Arsenal secret agent!
TR7
Firminho usually the villain against us.
Karim-
Hey…. 11am.. Hell I can even start drinking now .. close enough to noon. 😀
Mid I like your endeavor. Probably having breakfast with your football
Yep… toast, eggs, and Pilsner.. it’s a tradition unlike any other.
Premiership contenders Watford lose again!!!
Pedro likely to lose out on the £100 outside bet he put on Watford to win the league after listening to expert advice from betting supreme and football expert CG, who is likely to remain banned until Watford start winning again….
Whiskey o’ clock !
Joel Matip is the weakest link……shoulder runs all day long.
Am not too nervous about this game. We just need to watch Van Dijk on set plays. Only he and Firmino worry me today.
Fucking xhaka
No Ozil away from home in a big game? I’m shocked
I’d love a David Luiz free kick right under the bar !
I don’t know why I’m nervous.. its the third match of the season and let’s be honest .. not expecting much on the road..
Want to see Pepe get off the mark..
Xhaka-no-Laca.
Hmmmm….
If Pepe doesn’t score 3, we’ve wasted our money.
Glad to see Emery returned Xhaka back to the starting line-up and is dropping one of the main strikers.
I’m also impressed that he’s starting Pepe. Nelson shouldn’t be starting this big games ahead of Pep. What’s the point of spending big money on Pepe, if not for nights like todays.
The Liverpool full backs will have their hands full, that’s for sure.
BTW, Pool start with both Henderson & Wijnaldum in the midfield with Fabinho holding.
Don’t get me wrong, that is as workman like as they come at the top end of the PL/CL. Their real threat is down the flanks(sorry for stating the obvious).
Whatever Emery is trying with that line up, hope it works. If we can pin their full backs in their own halves, the supply to their forwards is essentially cut. Might as well go all out in the midfield.
Words
You mean you would start Laca-Pepe-Auba in this game?
We have to match them in the middle of the field and occupy their two FBs with pacy strikers.
It’s good that we have a proper bench now with options that can truly change a game.
hahaha Guns… well at least you don’ have high expectations..
The target is to avoid a thumping isn’t it? Starting 11 confirms this.
Xhaka and guen, never seen it work.
Torreira must be livid, losing him to play xacka would be silly imo
Hope this is not one of the games that VAR or a referring mistake will ruin
There’s pace all over the field on both sides, one late tackle in the wrong place…..
I love that Freddie L is out pumping up Pepe in warmup.. put his arm around him and giving him advice.. Not gonna lie would love to see him get a shot at manager some day.
I’m going to call out Emery’s obsession with Xhaka and Guendouzi. No need to force them into the starting line up
“I don’t get the doomsayers is it because Lacazette glueman is dropped? He’s not fit/should be a super sub anyhow“
Can’t help yourself can you, love an ankle to nibble on.
Midwest
Really, just start by expecting that we don’t get walloped…everything else is a bonus.
We are playing the two time CL finalist and champions of Europe.
See, I’m already properly lubed for the possible smashing 😊😊
If we get smashed I’m gonna be mad.. I can’t help it. When it comes to Arsenal fandam… I have no filter.
Mid
You manage to wake up today. Good to have you on the live blog.
Mane and Salah on … AMN and MOnreal though… worried is not the word.
Guendouzi and Xhaka deserve to start. Lacazzette looked off pace last weekend so is rightfully a sub.
My B’day today so The Arsenal better pull off something and win this game!!
Catching the first half in a Bristol sports bar before heading off to the restaurant with my parents (they booked the table for 7.30pm… -_- ).
So….
COME ON THE ARSENAL!!!
Hi Nelson ,… wouldn’t miss this one.
Hope Ceballos and Pepe have big games
We can make it a proper shoot-out because Adrian is not a top keeper..
High score-line victory to the Arsenal.
HappyBday ! Legendary! either way… have a few drinks.. make the parents buy.
MidwestGun
Don’t think Mané has had one average game against us in his PL career. He’s destroyed Monreal on numerous occasions. Pray for Nacho
Liverpool at home and burglary stats go down 1000%. All those thieving bastards at the game.
Let’s get it on boyzzzzz
The LegendaryDB10
Today is your birthday?
Now you’ve really jinxed us 😊
Hope the boys give you another reason to celebrate big.
Come on you Gunners!!!!!
Ceballos seems fired up, is he on some drugs? Haha
Leno looks like a proper Aryan.
Xhaka had no right to walk straight back into the team. Was poor at Newcastle. He cannot operate in tight spaces. Pool will close him down. He will be caught on the ball. You’ll see.
Firmino has 8 in 8 games against us.
As I’ve said, Anfield is a fucking graveyard for us so if they step up today it’s a huge performance. Cmon the boys
And it’s Arsenal,
Arsenal FC,
We’re by far the greatest team,
The world has ever seen….
Thanks mates!
No jinxing whatsoever! It’s a must!!
Mid
Will take on your idea!!!
My ACCA has been shit and I’m already so freaking tipsy so I’m going to go
Liverpool 1-3Arsenal
This has to be Willocks biggest game so far in his young career.
Hope he has a game to remember for all the right reasons.
9-1 to Liverpool.
Guns
So i shouldn’t take up that job offer on Merseyside then you reckon if the robbery rates only go down when there’s a football match
Why Xhaka? Not happy he’s playing
This formation relies on ceballos as the hub, I pray he turns up fine today
Emery better hopes that Xhaka won’t mess up.
Big Tony is awake, go orrn son
Bat
Depends mate. Liverpool is the single dirtiest place I’ve been. Oh no, Manchester beats it just.
it’s a lot of responsibility for the two young midfielders -Guen and Willocks
Xhaka is not the one you worry about here.
It’s the young ones that will be tested.
Just seen the line up. We’re stuffing the midfield and going two up top.
We’re going to win it!
1-2 / 1-3
And here we go
State of that crowd, you can smell the jobseekers off them
COYG
Emery to Klopp: right, you big goofy cunt, watch my boys slap the fake teeth out of yours
Give it to him Unai
Guen loses his position
Guen chasing shadows already.
Already 2 mistakes by Xhaka
Zhaka doing what he does best
Hold on – why are we not wearing the banana?
Don’t worry Xhaka wont play long when he gets a red card… lol fuker.
This third kit is really nice.
A diamond in midfield with their fullbacks?
That’s risky stuff, big games needed from Monreal and AMN then
Xhaka doing his shit show. Our Waiter can waste his substitutions later.