Say it quietly, but I quite miss the Europa League. I was like, totally over her, she’s kind of frumpy, not exactly a head-turner, the funny accent doesn’t suit my Brexit sentiments, but now she’s gone… I’m a bit, you know, alone?
Still, you can’t deny that an early kick-off on Saturday isn’t great. When I lived in London, it controlled my Friday night, the danger with the 1230 kick-off is you start drinking at 10am, go to the game, win, then carry on the festivities ready for a brutal 8pm crash… you basically ruin your weekend. Still, at least you get the football out of the way early.
Not sure the players will be treating Saturday that way, the pussies. They have a tough game on paper game against Palace, though scratch beneath the surface and Palace are not having a good time at the moment. They had to field 5 academy players at the weekend in the cup and they lost to Rooney’s Derby. Big Roy Hodgson is not happy with the state of his squad and I’d imagine the Zaha to Spurs/Chelsea/anyone that will save him can’t be helping.
Rumours are that he’s landing Kyle Walker on a 6-month loan from City (honestly wouldn’t say no myself (but it’s obvs the Spurs guy, which I knew lololol)) and Cenk Tosun. Hopefully, they won’t be in place by Saturday.
Good news is this: At least they are weak.
Won’t change the ferocity of the game, but I’ll take it.
Arsenal are sniffing around players themselves, there’s a lot of talk AGAIN about Yan Couto. The Brazilian 17-year-old right-back is going to move to Europe and a fee of £4.2m is being mooted, which is very much within the reach of Arsenal.
As a right-back, what I have deduced from 6 minutes of scouting is he has beautiful tight control of the ball, Hleb liked. Stunning acceleration, so he can move like a modern full-back. Solid delivery and an absolutely ferocious strike. He’d not be a now signing because he’s not 18, but he’d hopefully be very much in the mold of Martinelli.
God bless Edu (or Cagigao)
Talking of kids. Rules are now in effect that you can’t traffic children anymore.
Booooo…
‘FIFA’s rules say players aged 18 or under can only be transferred abroad if one of three criteria are met: if their parents emigrated for non-footballing reasons, both clubs are in the EU or European Economic Area and the player is aged between 16 and 18 or the player lives within 100km of the new club’
When you think about what went on, it’s quite mad. Football’s #MeToo was literally hiding Fran Merida in the mountains of Spain until he came of age so they could traffic him to London. You’d be disgusted if a bank was doing that, wouldn’t you? Unless you work in the City or Wall Street, where you’d applaud, you disgusting capitalist FIENDS.
Arteta seems to be less confident about bringing players in than he was a week ago.
‘I’m not expecting big things. I’m expecting big things from the players I have now to get through the season in a more balanced way. We always have to be looking because of some injuries’
I suspect that comment is related to this economic reality.
‘We’re not thinking to sell. There’s nothing concrete at the moment on the table, as I said, I’m focusing on the players we have now and this transfer window is a little bit tricky and things might come at the end. But I don’t know which way.’
Though I’d love us to move on £100m worth of talent this window, I think we need to be honest about the situation. There doesn’t appear to be a lot of top talent available, and if we’re in financial trouble, I’d rather us spend what money we do have on the best possible talent in the summer, without the January premium. That Boateng is still being heavily linked at £200k a week tells you all you need to know about the state of the window.
I also have mild ‘don’t say it out loud’ concerns with a massive ramp-up in talent. We’ll raise expectations, probably still not have enough to make top 4, then finish right back in the Europa League places again. It’s not a surprise that Leicester are doing far better this year without Europe to bother them. They have a full 7 days to train with Rodgers and it’s paying dividends. Older players look fresher, younger players are getting better. They won the league like that, exited the cups early, and kept everyone fit.
If we’re not making the Champions League next season, I’d rather a run at the league next year with no Europe. I think it’d be a strategic advantage.
With lower expectations this next 5 months, the manager can experiment more heavily with young players, can put more focus on winning one of the cups, and be free of pressure to chase a goal that looks very much like a stretch from where we are now. He can also spend more time with Edu, Per, and Cagigao planning the summer.
Again, I was totally wrong with how Arteta would approach the cups, so could end up with egg on my face here as well when we unveil Mbappe.
There’s some interesting news that Timo Werner has a €48m release clause in the summer (The Athletic). I’m not trying to tell the club what to do… but my word, wouldn’t he be a great signing if we moved on one of our two contract rebel strikers? He’s young, fast, can play in an aggressive press, and he scores LOTS of goals. Even better news for Arsenal, he turned down Liverpool because he wants to play (so he lacks ambition) and the same is thought to be true of his concerns about joining PSG, where Tuchel is a fan. Chelsea are interested, but again, why would you stifle Tammy Abrahams? According to reports, the English sharpshooter is waiting to see who Frank brings in before signing a new deal.
I think we should move on Werner (just typed Wenger by accident), makes total sense. Certainly a sexier name than Kevin Volland.
On exits, the club is unsure whether to let Eddie go out on loan, but it looks certain they’ll move ESR and John-Jules out. Great news, no point in keeping them if you’re going to bench them. I am very excited by ESR, I think he has immense potential… I also think it should be noted that PSG and Juve were sniffing around John-Jules. The future is bright if they can make that potential a reality.
Right, that’s all I have. See you in the comments.
After being totally pulverised by a Championship side Monday( Leeds Utd)
We are now 5 points behind another one in Sheff Utd with over half the season gone.
And our esteemed author and others – think the title is within reach within 2 seasons??
Deluded.
Midtable Mediocrity for a while methinks.
Wenger left 58 games ago.
CG – I think I would hate to spend time having a beer with you. No offence mate but you’re so pessimistic you’d have anyone reaching for the way out straight away
Cheer up and get enthusiastic for your own sake
This is a great club and no need to be that depressed at all. As you day the Clown has gone and we’re rebuilding
Ffs enjoy the ride
(Zaha was the player we should have bought.) Everyone knows it …..except the Spiv. Savvy defenders – will read him easily.One trick ponyFlop flop flop……flop. ———————— Out of 14 statistics Pepe has been better than Zaha in 10 Including goals per 90 min, goals from open play, assists, crosses, key passes, through balls and npxG+xA. Zaha is better in pens won( no surprise there,Pepe would have to have both his legs broken to get a pen from PL refs), fouls drawn( naturally) dribbles and dribble percentage ( by a small margin) It’s not that you like Zaha better CG, I… Read more »
Pepe has assisted 2 and scored 1 of our last 3 goals, he’ll be fine.
Only an idiot would think the pricetag of a player is going to affect the adaption period needed, there’s so many factors involved.
NorthbankerJanuary 10, 2020 22:35:14
CG – I think I would hate to spend time having a beer with you. No offence mate but you’re so pessimistic you’d have anyone reaching for the way out straight away
————-
Spending time with CG discussing Arsenal over a beer wouldn’t be high on my “ things I’d like to do” list.
Probably one spot below sticking needles in my eyes.
Northbanker “””CG – I think I would hate to spend time having a beer with you. No offence mate but you’re so pessimistic you’d have anyone reaching for the way out straight away”””” Well firstly. Page 1 in life…..Never Judge a book by its cover. If you were to meet me at my local bridge club in Sandton and share a sherry-you will see I am the life of the party. As for Arsenal being a great club Forget it! We ain’t.! WE USED TO BE,though. (Like soccer was great before VAR) We are Rotten to the Core. We have… Read more »
CG mission is to get revenge for his cult hero..
So much hate and bitterness..
It’s not about arsenal anymore for him..
Wenger started the rot, got us 5th and 6th and had to go because he lost the plot!
Truth hurts!
Wenger’s name should be scrubbed from Arsenal history books.
The clown’s mismanagement left Arsenal in doo-doo
G8
“””Wenger started the rot, got us 5th and 6th and had to go because he lost the plot!”””
We ain’t 5th or 6th no more.
We are entrenched in midtable
We have no money left( 1/4 of billion shredded on basically a concoction of average players)
We play appalling soccer.
We dont sell out any more.
We dont get to Wembley too much either
That’s not hate and bitterness
That’s the Truth…..and that’s why it hurts The Delinquents and Deplorables on here, so much.
We are garbage post Wenger.
And all the stats in the world prove it.
Hey Victorious!
How’s it going? I see you’re still doing your faux-British schtick.
Throwing about brit euphemisms like you’re fucking Mr. Bean, living in London. Bitching about Liverpool supporters.
While instead, you live on the other side of the planet, in some third world toilet that imprisons gays and worships chickens.
Have some shame.
The rot started when Wenger was exposed as one dimensional by Abramovich’s millions.
Tactically incompetent and bereft of coaching acumen left Arsenal plodding on needlessly for over a decade…
CG calm down
Its only 18 month since your lord left the building
Wembley? He went 14 yrs without silverware, didn’t see you had a fit then!
18 months and you having a coronary!
it is only football , Its not soccer
worships chickens
I don’t even know if it’s a stereotype but that was funny. I’d say Americans worship chickens too. And beef. And pork. And everything fried and covered in cheese.
CG
It’s football you imbecile, it’s FOOTBALL!!!!
Pedro
By the way, would you consider what CG has been posting for the past 7 days regurgitation? Like in the case of Bamford?
I always had it backwards, thought Victorious worships gays and imprisons chickens.
All I know is victorious worships Huddersfield and loves low hanging ball sacks…I mean Arsene Wenger
“Brought in by Arsenal back in 2002, Orlandelli worked as the Gunners’ South American scout for ten years.
Orlandelli helped sign the likes of Denilson, Carlos Vela, Wellington Silva and Emiliano Martinez whilst at the Gunners.“
Except Vela, not the most appealing CV if these were Sancho’s contribution back then.
Reports say Edu brought him back and I hope he knows …
Toilet bowl stadium, chicken standing on a ball as the clubs logo, soon to send Mourinho to prison…. ..wait a minute he’s a spurs fan
Im telling you this for free!
The FA have anounced a plan to improve VAR. Next season it is being out-sourced to India!
CG
It is all about trajectory.
We started with the bar raised high in the early Wenger period, then the decline started. From the lofty heights of competing for the EPL top spot we started to drift downwards and considered it an achievement to finish 4th during mid period Wenger. Then down still further out of the top 4, dismantling the infrastructure, not replacing key players with like and poor ownership/management/executive decisions.
It’s not rocket science!
To keep it rocket science, booster rockets bring spaceships to a certain altitude and are then released to reduce weight.
The spaceship continues to follow it’s trajectory. Do you absolve the rockets of any responsibility for the spaceship’s trajectory after the release?
Gunnerman
In this case the booster rockets did not detach as programmed and started to deviate off course, taking the whole thing into an alternative orbit, spiralling out of control in concentric circles of diminishing annulus!
CG The reason so many of us see Wenger in a negative light is because he failed to make the neccessary adjustments over a very long period of time. Playing pretty football, at the expense of doing the basics, was his philosophy. Once he lost his leaders he was found out. His tenureship was based on a 90 minute game. The first half was great whilst the second period was a slow and painful regression as it became obvious things were never going to change. People say we were fortunate to have Wenger because he changed the ethos and culture… Read more »
Can’t take anything Carragher says seriously, the guys a cretin.
Marko on xhaka ” My fucking god why are we keeping him. Dumb fucking club” Maybe it’s a ploy by Arteta to get the maximum price possible in the summer. Think about it , 4 weeks ago players like Xhaka, AMN, Nelson, Torreira etc , their value was at an all time low. Now ,I reckon their value has increased by 10 million each , so if Arteta thinks we need better quality and needs to move these players on , he will be able to get maximum value. I estimate that Xhaka’s value has increased from 20 to 30… Read more »
Graham, literally no point in trying to have a serious, balanced discussion with CG when he openly states he doesn’t watch Arsenal.
His MO is to turn the conversation onto his true affection, someone who’s not even associated with the club anymore.
I think the Xhaka situation can be simplified to – he’s as good as it gets currently.
No internal solution, no money and no serious interest that would cover the outlay for his replacement.
Graham and CG have very similar characteristics in that their views are extreme, though they are polar opposite views.
Somewhere in the middle of these 2 extreme views , will we find the answer.
Some on Le Grove want to see CG binned for his extreme views whilst they are happy to see Graham denigrate Wenger on a daily basis .
We’ve still got things to play for. Half the season to go at.
Of course MA has to say the right things and get all the players on board for the project.
Behind closed doors, he probably has a list who he wants to stay and leave by the summer, who’s he’s bringing in.
Next season is the one. From now until then, it’s trial and error.
‘Some on Le Grove want to see CG binned for his extreme views whilst they are happy to see Graham denigrate Wenger on a daily basis .’
Pierre,
Why showcasing CG as an extremist when you can use your Ozil views, which are the most appropriate example of extremeness?
Agree with Pie and Unai, Arteta, like any intelligent coaches, has to be a pragmatist as well as a good man manager. From now until the end of the season, he can find out all he needs to about the players that he has under his command. The January transfer window is nothing like the Summer one. I would imagine a loan or two and maybe a promising youngster (that 17 year old Brazilian?) is as much as we can expect. Would imagine Arteta will stick with the same team as the last PL match. This time they’ll go out… Read more »
Pie, I bet Arteta would love to revolutionise our squad but with our financial situation and diminishing player values its unrealistic.
Backdoor CL qualification would be so sweet but if not, we probably go into next season with a very similar squad.
I think a side of arteta’s coaching that he needs to watch and adjust is “time to substitute”. We can’t sustain the tempo through 90 minutes and some players work harder than others especially our midfielders. Once our midfield collapses, it automatically makes us to be on the receiving end of whatever the opponent’s game plan is, he should know when to change the tired legs and bring in some fresh legs to do the running and whatever he expects of them.
‘Wenger started the rot, got us 5th and 6th and had to go because he lost the plot!’ Making a statement like this today is basement level thickness. I wanted to see Wenger gone, I was happy when his departure was announced, but to intentionally refuse to put things under the right microscope is piss poor arrogance and hatred. Most of you would have sworn on your lives that anybody but Wenger would instantly improve Arsenal, but we have put a number of people in charge for 18 months and all we have got is mid table. So show some… Read more »
Gentlebris, many of us were saying in the early 2010’s that if we allowed Wenger more time we would suffer the consequences.
Many of us saw this coming.
The time the rot started Wenger was Arsenal, nobody else to blame.
Thats not to discredit Wenger for what he did at the start however, he was outstanding in the first half of his tenure.
But if you credit him for that you have to also accept, the wheels fell off towards the end.
In my opinion posters should only be binned for vile/abusive comments, not for “set in stone opinions” on certain managers/ players. I admit my perceptions are grating for some on here but I’ll only pass comment on Wenger when certain other posters rattle on about how wonderful things were under Wenger when, post 2006, they were clearly not. I want Arteta to succeed, just as I wanted Emery to succeed. Under Wenger though, it was clear that things were never going to change. The fact that so many lapped it all up and accepted it remains, to this day, my… Read more »
Previous post directed at Pierre.
Gentleness
“Why showcasing CG as an extremist when you can use your Ozil views, which are the most appropriate example of extremeness?”
I’m sure you will agree that my views on Ozil and his ability are proving to be correct …it was always my belief that he was being badly mis managed by Emery.
There is nothing extreme in wanting one of your own players to do well for the benefit of the team.
99% of posters were wrong on Ozil, it’s not my fault of they can’t recognise quality, unlike myself and Arteta..
.
Still running with the chicken nonsense i see For the record not a single tribe in Nigeria has a reverence for chickens…not one. They are used in sacrifices and eaten at will. Don’t know where Cutter got the chicken nonsense he has been running with for a while now, no one worships chickens. Nor does anyone imprison you for sticking your stuff up another man, what is outlawed is public gathering of gays, marriage between them is illegal too. What you do in the privacy of your own home between two consenting adults is your business. Surely you don’t think… Read more »
Graham
” My Wenger views may be annoying for you and a few others on here, just as some of your opinions on a certain player annoys many on here.”
Graham, you are the archetypal wenger obsessive and nothing you say regarding our former manager annoys me and of course you or CG should not be binned.
Part of me pitys you as you have deprived yourself many years of enjoyment from as far back as 2008 due to your wenger obsession .
Graham
“. I went to the game in January that year where we had a chance to push for top spot, it finished 2-2. We fluffed our lines.”
Things must have been so bad back then , just missing out on top spot…
Groundhog Day again Graham. Not sure why you bother to repeat your Wenger views endlessly. You might argue that others are continually praising the memory of Wenger and that you have a compulsive personality that forces you to reset their perspective.
Do you think repeating your views on Wenger changes anybody’s views?
You’re not someone who I want to scroll down before reading your passionate posts but can you see how repeating your views might encourage others to do exactly that.
‘But if you credit him for that you have to also accept, the wheels fell off towards the end.’ Unai, I had no time for Wenger in his last few years in charge, I thought he didn’t just start the rot but that he was the rot and that he should be thrown out of Arsenal and told never to visit….. But what has been happening post Wenger can’t be blamed on Wenger and even more should bring Wenger’s less impressive years into perspective. Wenger, in his last years, signed Auba and Laca, without those two I’m not sure we… Read more »
Bob N16 No Bob, I don’t. That’s me though, just take it or leave it. My point regarding our 2010 campaign is true though. I know it, you know it, the entire footballing world knows it. Under Wenger, for the most part post 2006, we were flat track bullies. Without genuine pressure we could be brilliant, but when it really mattered, more often than not, we cocked things up. I realise you find me perceptions on Wenger irritating(sorry Bob) but after 3 years on here I will not change my views, even if Arteta leads us forward in a progressive… Read more »
Arteta handles press conferences better than Wenger. Such a weird sight too see a young manager full of confidence and such articulation poise.
‘For the record not a single tribe in Nigeria has a reverence for chickens…not one.’
Nigerian jollof rice is perhaps the most popular delicacy in Nigeria among both poor and rich, Christians and muslims, northerners and southerners; and believe me, that dish is incomplete if not served with chicken.
Nigerians love to eat chicken, they don’t worship it.
Speaking of cheese, one of my favourite Simpsons skits is when homer goes downstairs for a midnight stacks and takes out a slice of burger cheese
It cuts to 8am next morning and marge walks into the room to find him face down surrounded by hundreds of empty cheese wrappers and asks ‘did you stay up all night eating burger cheese???’ To which he shouts ‘I THINK IM BLIND’
Hahahahahha fucking old school simpsons was immense
There’s a really good documentary on when the Simpsons turned shit which is on YouTube if you search for it and it’s extremely well put together and true
You can map the rise and fall from immense to wank and track it to very specific key moments. A fun watch
Fair enough Graham, wishing you well ……
: Leno, Maitland-Niles, Sokratis, Luiz, Kolasinac, Xhaka, Torreira, Ozil, Pepe, Lacazette, Aubameyang
Subs: Martinez, Holding, Nelson, Willock, Guendouzi, Martinelli, Saka
Look……something resembling a settled side at long last ..
Arteta out to break the squad. Touch wood but I see one of laca, ozil, or torr having a hamstring injury today.
Hope we win, we need to go on our own unbeaten run now.
Gonsterous
“Arteta out to break the squad. ”
Get real, we have played 2 times in 10 days and the next fixture is a week away.
A settled team brings consistency .
Ceballos couldn’t even make it to the sub bench.
I remember being cussed at when I made the prediction that Conte”s Inter will pip Sarro’s Juventus to the Serie A trophy.
It’s mid way]point now but is anyone still laughing at that suggestion?
Is Arteta treating injured players with kid gloves or are the injurys worse than reported?
Holding, Bellerin and Ceb all struggling to get back it seems
Same line up as the Man U match, that hasn’t happened for a long time.
I guess he can’t have sauce for everything.
Can’t believe its been a year since we last named an unchanged team!
We’d genuinely have turned one corner if we could dispose of CP with relative ease after lunch , or dinner/ breakfast time for some.
Deep down we’d know there aren’t new, fancy signings during this TW other than loans and perhaps the Brazilian kid.
Would count it a good window If we ‘d manage couple of smart loans ( not boteang though) and Yan!
Interesting to see that Arteta seems to have an idea of what this current squads first XI.
Let’s hope the team start off with purpose and put into action Arteta’s plan. Hopefully they put into action what they have learnt so far.
I think we can win this, in particular if we ignore any bullying tactics they have in store for us.
*is.
Good morning ladies…. Holy crap is it early.. hahaha oh well.. Hope we keep the ball rolling.. Need to string some wins together and start climbing the table. I could have pretty much guessed the lineup. This seems to be the starting lineup. some of it due to injuries. Especially in the fullback position. I hope it works out.. Having Xhaka and Ozil in the same side creates a pretty big defensive liability in the midfield but Artetea seems to have an organizational idea how to try and mitigate this. Have to see if we can keep it going though.… Read more »
I love the early kick offs – only 8.30pm here!
Hi Mid. You get up so early!
Nice Aussie… I’m jealous.. 6am my time. Not a fan of that. especially on Saturday morning.
COYG
Hi Nelson.. Yep.. got to do what you got to do to support the Arsenal.
Mid
Its the european evening kick offs that do me in – unless I am working night shift!!
I wonder what Luiz says during the team talk
Well… here we go… awake or not.. Let’s go! In the yellow kit today.
Come on The Arsenal!!!!
The ref has only showed one red card in the last 2.5 years?? Come on Xhaka do your stuff!
Looks pretty windy. Might be a good day to shoot on sight see how their keeper deals with it.
Looks like Kola is our weapon.
Kola oooo, a vexing conundrum
Kolasinac still can’t cross a ball
sigh… all the coaching in the world wont change that
Cream!!
Good!!!
wonderful play
looking good so far
You can’t teach goal scoring, Auba just has it.
Arteta has turned it around
Controlling the possession so far.. Have to find a way to break them down and not give up the quick counter attack. and as I say that.. Goallllll!!! hahhaa N(ce passing there.
Yes!!!
We are the only team who is playing.
You beauty!!
Right down the middle. sweet goal…
We don’t look as frustrating as we used to, this is good. More purpose to our game now. Good goal:
Super from Laca to be fair!
Come on Auba! Come on The Arsenal!!!!!!!
Great build up to that goal.
We are doing some nice one touch football here and there.
To think that Emery was overcomplicating things with thousands of useless passes in our own half. When you have a top 3 passing defender in the world in David Luiz. He’s been of a tremendous importance since Arteta’s arrival. Easily our most important and impressive player in the last month.
Ayew has been a fouling machine since the game started
When will he get a talking too?
Up to now, Pepe is the only one disappointing.
Gap toothed fvckerrr
Away fans in good voice. Must be near the microphone for the tv feed. Good to hear.
Pepe is so raw it’s unreal. Thought we are buying an already developed player…
Pepe is back with his over-doing showy approach
Pepe oooooo
What is Pepe doing???