Hey, did you hear? Roy Keane has had a thought.
‘When I was watching it I thought they were 10 points clear in the league the way they were celebrating. ‘No, forget Arsenal. Way over the top celebration for beating Newcastle 4-0. Ridiculous.’
Well I’ll be damned, if there’s ever a person in the world of sport ready with a hot take about joy, it’s gotta be the Irishman. That this sort of commentary still interests people is staggering. It’s so boring.
For me, the best part about the celebration was seeing the players happy again. Lacazette is obviously very highly thought after by the players and it was great to see them all launch at him after 7900 minutes without a goal. Good for them, enjoy life, fuck Roy.
In ‘two drunk uncles fighting’ news, Unai Emery and Arsene Wenger are at it in the press. It’s like two reimagination titans duking it out to see who can fool those lying eyes harder.
This was Emery: “Arsenal was a club on a downward slope for two years before I arrived.
This was Arsene: “In 2017 we made 75 points and won the FA Cup so you cannot say that [Arsenal were in decline] and the year before [2016] we finished second in the league,”
“2018 was my last year but it is very difficult to come out on that.
“Arsenal is a club that is in a very strong position financially. It has good players, after that when you are a manager you have to stand up for what you do and your result and not look around you.
Oof… Arsene, just stop.
I liked that Arteta just pretended he’d not read Emery’s comments. Classy.
Pablo Mari played his first 45 in an Arsenal shirt for the U23 team, dropping a very solid performance according to the nerds that watch those games. It’ll be interesting to see whether he actually starts on Thursday, quite the risk this early, even if it is light opposition.
Robbie Burton, hot prospect from last season, has been shipped off to Dinamo. I cant see what the fee is, but one would assume he must have been told he was surplus to requirements to move to a fairly obscure league. Good luck to him, I love to see British kids moving abroad to land the game time they need in their formative years. Interesting to see that Marcus Mcguane was being touted with a move back to Forest after failing to break into the Barca B team on a consistent basis.
Manchester United kept the race for top four nice and alive, OGS putting Frank Lampard’s team to the sword 2-0 in a VAR controversy fest for the ages. I think the win was ideal for us, the pack is now very tight, just 7 points separate 10th and 4th. I still think it’s a huge ask for Arsenal, but it’s not beyond the pale to suggest a team that dropped a 22 game unbeaten run 18 months ago could do the same again… still feels unlikely though, but we’ll see.
I also think glorious failure of both clubs works for us. United won’t fire OGS if he finishes a close 5th, Chelsea won’t fire Frank if he’s there or thereabouts. Last thing we need is Poch at either of our rivals.
The game on Sunday will be a major test, the ‘SHOULD HAVE BEEN CARLO’ fanboys will be waiting with bated breath to see if he can turn us over. It’ll be a tough home game, no doubt, but it’s one we simply have to win if we want to stand a chance in the league this season.
Right, short post today, I’m off to Virginia… my first time. Make sure you listen to the podcast though, the sound is so spot on it brought a tear to my eye.
Question: Why do most referees become referees in the first place? Answer: Because they were either crap at playing the game or, have little or no concept of the natural flow/feel of a game. Hence, my solution to improve VAR( a la Wenger) would be to get Norman and Stan, from the local Dog and Duck FC team, to monitor all VAR decisions sat in the pub, surrounded by a few of their mates, over a few pints of special brew. I guarantee you’d get far quicker decisions( not neccessarily the correct decisions) and, significantly, have a good old laugh… Read more »
Back in the early 70s there was a pre-season competition where offside was given only in the penalty box. Intercity Cup or something like that.
Lol Our Wenger. Silly AKBs and their ideas.
FA is the proble everywhere else VAR works fine.
Nelson.
“Most of the sport in North America are like that. In hockey, the play clock starts only when the plug is in play. The game will become quite a bit longer. The clock will decide when the game finishes.
That’s why I said only start the clock on 75 mins .
May make the game a few minutes longer.
ValentinFebruary 19, 2020 14:14:23 CG,You cant be offside if you have possession of the ball in the oppositions half.I am not sure that would improve the quality of football. A striker could spend his entire time just shadowing the goal keeper. If his team intercepts the ball in the opposition camp, long ball to him. As soon as a player gone through the mid way half, long ball to the striker. ——————— Exactly, I can just imagine the likes of Burnley and Dyche rubbing their eyes in disbelief and jumping for joy if this silly idea got implemented. Worst idea… Read more »
Peter Crouch would come out of retirement and command a 20m a year salary,
and he would probably get it.
Brilliant idea CG lol.
GunnerDNA
Your point being?
Jamie Carragher is not someone I personally have time for.
Tom Tom
Now Now.
My offside Ruling would be the best thing that has happened in soccer for 100 years.
(At least since our Herbert implemented Floodlights.)
In answering The G’s question of forwards shadowing the goalkeeper- thats easy to resolve.
You can shadow the keeper
But you CANT obstruct the keeper.
(Like it is now.)
Maybe a little toughening up of the obstruct law there.
The CG new offside ruling is revolutionary,groundbreaking and will undoubtedly be better than the VAR monstrosity we now have.
It certainly should be trialled ASAP
Graham62
‘Jamie Carragher is not someone I personally have time for”
So long as you install a spit-guard on him, you should be fine.
And I am not saying Pepe is a particularly bad player.I am saying- its unacceptable, incompetent, lazy, suspicious and an outright sackable offence to pay £72 million for him if then 3 managers have gone on to drop him. —————- Wait,what? Pepe isn’t bad player now? “Worst signing ever”, a “ one trick pony “ etc ,your words. Moving the goal posts are we. So Pepe at 72 m is a sackable offense but apparently not getting Zaha at 80 plus was also a sackable offense, which means at least 3 or 4 other directors of football at Chelsea, Tottenham… Read more »
Tom If Arsenal are around in another 100 years. I guarantee, Pepe will still be our record transfer fee. Ludicrous amount of money to pay for him. That’s why The Clown, Fred and MA have favoured teenagers over him all season. Even Real Madrid have stopped the galatico route , and are looking to buy younger players. We are without question on the cusp of a huge transfer downturn/correction. Hartland for £19 million is the new norm And Note Pogbas price has gone from Real paying 100, 75 to yesterdays £50 million for him. By the end of this campaign… Read more »
French spoken by 430 million people across 29 countries in Africa
This is what happens in french football
“biting his penis.
The assault caused him to be rushed to hospital, where he required 12 stitches and was unable to work for four days.”
Im telling you for free!
Mesut Ozil will miss Olympiacos due to personal reasons.
Is Turkey and Greece still at war???
His first child is due.
“Mesut Ozil will miss Olympiacos due to personal reasons.
Is Turkey and Greece still at war???”
Nelson
Its an away game. That counts as a valid reason.
Ozil is biggest joke on football atm.
The club understands we have a big enough squad to travel without him. Having your first child is a precious moment you cant miss even if it incites the usuals’.
Via Charles Watts
@charles_watts
Team news update – Torreira is ill and misses out, Ozil has stayed at home as his wife is about to give birth. Mari is available and Guendouzi has travelled.
@charles_watts
Only just learnt that Ozil’s wife has been pregnant. Would have been about three months into the pregnancy at the time of the attack outside Kolasinac’s home. Hope all those who had a go at him for how he reacted as the attack unfolded feel like idiots now (doubt it though).
Yet scoofs down a large donner… South Londons a small place be careful what you say
Pedro
I’m not sure what you are objecting to in Wenger’s statement.
He was just defending his record which is fair enough.
I was delighted with the win against Newcastle but we’re still tenth.
Alex, 6 points from a CL spot however you cut it
UN “””Alexander He’s right too. We were hardly sliding down to tenth at the time Give wenger a full season with Aubameyang and Lacazette without the additional £200m spent and he’d have had us back in the champions league last season””” Here Here. well said UN. (and on the eve of another Europa Cup match tomo.) A reminder-In 20 years of near impeccable management- our Wenger never had us having the ignominy of Thursday night soccer and the horrendous Loosers Cup. It was always CL. Not now. Next year- we will sink even lower with no Euro matches. Buts that… Read more »
Un na I was pro Wenger for years but in the end he had to go and should have done so a couple of seasons earlier at least- even with the FA cup wins. However, I did predict that the club would struggle post wenger due to its owner’s painfully obvious lack of ambition. Pedro and others weren’t having it. No, we were going to be champions within three years and European champions within five I seem to remember. That really hasn’t panned out but the ‘Wenger was shit all along’ narrative is alive and well. Hence Pedro’s habit of… Read more »
You did insinuate (when there was no reason to), that Greeks are ‘good people’ … You have made plenty of references on this forum about particular groups in the past which you clearly have disdain for… I’m just shocked you survived this long in South L
BTW no one ever goes out for a ‘Greek’ Kebab.
Dissenter, I am not moving the goal post, I was answering to Sid ridiculous assertion that Pepe style of football was African when he barely spend time in Ivory Coast. Same with the ridiculous view that Pogba style of play comes from his African root. You then interjected yourself in the conversation and put your own interpretation. You seem to confuse the man and the footballer. You can separate the man from his football style. Some players are like animal on the pitch,but very charming off the pitch. Some the opposite are inhibited on it. Some famous players are great… Read more »
Pedro
Yes, so close to the fourth place trophy.
I don’t want to be a party pooper but.. come on man.. Are you serious?
My champagne’s on ice mate.
CG
Ok, but keeping Wenger? He’s pushing 70.
He did a lot wrong in his final period at Arsenal to be fair.
Thing is, he did a lot right before that and it should be respected- that’s my point.
Alex “””Ok, but keeping Wenger? He’s pushing 70.””” he is a remarkably fit and agile 70 year old. Wrong word : keeping, replacing him with someone better. And we still have not done it. laughably they tried with that ridiculous Clown And until we do that- we wont be as good. And people of the calibre of Wenger- don’t grow on trees. Wenger made managing AFC look easy under Stan We now have 6 people doing his old job- and they still cant match his last and worse season. And as you rightly observe- thats why we are 10th. Mind… Read more »
Denilson 96 matches – 6 goals – 10 assists – 89 shots – on target 27 shooting accuracy – 30% Passes – 5163, passes per match 53.78, 106 crosses, crossing accuracy – 23% Accurate long balls – 365 263 tackles – 73% succes rate 246 interceptions, 622 ball recoveries Errors leading to goal – 0 Guendouzi 54 matches – 0 goals, 1 assist – 27 shots – on target 9, shooting accuracy – 33% Passes – 2,686 Passes per match 49.74 Crosses 21 Cross accuracy %10% Accurate long balls – 145 Tackles 74 Tackle success – 55% Interceptions 57 Ball… Read more »
246 interceptions in 96 matches.
The name Xhakalson is an insult to denilson ‘s defensive abilities.
Also pretty clear why xhaka plays ahead of Guendouzi.
Bashing a 20 year old deep lying CM for not scoring, How Mature.
Any way
Son is out, Now Rashford. All Our rival attackers are dropping like flies.They will draw or lose a lot of games. If we go on a winning run Top 5 is achievable. I more worried about Everton, Wolves and Sheffield. Beat Everton and It will be the catalyst we need to pile more pressure on teams above us.
Results against the top sides show Arsenal were a midtable team under Wenger.
CG
You love dangling that bait don’t you.
“Wenger made managing Arsenal look easy under Stan”
That’s because he didn’t expend enough of his energies into moving us in the right direction.
He coasted along, with zero accountability.
Shite, even I could have made it “look easy” in that environment.
Nothing suggests Arsenal will go on a winning run.
The Newcastle game was a freak result…
Wenger made Arsenal easy to beat: 8-2 6-3, 6-0 5-1….
From 2006 to 2018 no PL titles.
From 2006 to 2018 no European titles.
From 2006-2018 only one season when we seriously had a go at winning the PL(2008-09)
From 2006- 2018 no league cup final wins.
From 2006-2018 3 FA cup final wins.
Notice I haven’t included Community shields and Emirates trophies!
Based on resources available/infrastructure/players at his disposal and of course the predictable excuses, that’s a pretty poor return imo.
18.38 Un na.
You might like Teddy Swims.?
Like the sound of your selection.
@CazonaRola
Probably wasn’t in the premier league (maybe Champions League) but I distinctly remember Denilson falling over on the halfway line as our last defender, failing to grab the ball, and letting an opposition forward run in on goal and score.
Redtruth – 6 games I believe undefeated and then a 4-0 from a succession of draws. Not freakery , just as likely gathering form and confidence after a defensive shell was built to arrest confidence sapping defeats.
Everton is a tough one but winnable. When do you give Arteta a break ? 2/3/4/5 wins on the trot or never?
Sometimes it’s easier to look for faults and disparage rather than do the hard work of analysing net gain improvement
Wenger on offside rule change:
“I’m speaking about the offside by a margin of a fraction of a centimetres,” said Wenger. “Maybe there is room to change the offside rule a little bit so we don’t say a part of his nose was offside.
Classic.
We all know that VAR, as it stands, is ruining the game.
Scrap it!
Make use of the 4th official( what the fudge does he do anyway?) to monitor the monitor. Give the correct decision, if required to do so. No lines to be drawn. Just a clear and instant appraisal based on a replay and your own experience as an official.
Problem solved.
VAR only to be implemented again when all problems ironed out.
Awful lot of empty seats at the Etihad – I thought these City fans were supposed to be amazing and follow their team through thick and thin.
Old school City fans will always turn up, not sure about there new fans though.
The manager will get my full backing once we start putting trophies in the Cabinet…..
Marc
Man City may as well play the ladies team seeing as top 4 is meaningless now they have been banned from Europe…
Ruth
The manager will get my full backing once we start putting trophies in the Cabinet…..
The irony you whopper!! All you have for a manager who had loads of such trophies in the cabinet is irrational hatred while worshipping the total loser Emery who never managed any one
It boggles the mind the amount of shit you have as brain cells.
The FA Cup can go in the bin, I’m talking league trophy……
Spurs are fucking being murdered here within 2 minutes.
No goal for Leipzig though
I still keep in touch with a few people in England who have season tickets for Arsenal and Southampton and they all dislike VAR because they never know whether to cheer or not when a goal is scored and they hate it.
I don’t know if it possible but can VAR just measure where a player’s feet are and ignore every other body part. As long as an offensive player’s feet are onside, it does not matter where his elbow is?
Is this the Nkunku lad who we chased at PSG?
Looks a good player here against Spurs, bit of arrogance to him, athletic, skilful.
RB are giving them the run around here with Spurs trying to pull and Atletico and sit deep.
Son is a bigger miss for Spurs than Kane.
Tobs Alderwereild and the Colombian are a very average CB pairing.
If Arsenal can get some form going they could catch Spurs.
Can’t see Spurs accumulating a great number of league points now until the end of the season.
For the away side Leipzig have caused Spurs lots of problems in this match so far.
There is no issue with VAR per se, just with the corrupt and incompetent referees hidden in the booth and the corrupt way PGMOL decided to implement it in England. The “extending my leg” Maguire should have been a straight red, yet still a corrupt or incompetent referee decided that everything was OK and nothing untoward had happened. Also the officiating of the offside rule using a freeze frame and a drawn line is ridiculous because despite what the official is trying to pretend this is not a fact but an interpretation of facts. The selection of the frame is… Read more »
Schick is causing Spurs multiple headaches.
Ozil to miss europa due to ‘personal issues’. Anyone know what that is?
Honestly. 350k per week and he’s a proper melt.
Another wasted chance from Leipzig.
Werner.
How Tottenham are still level I will never know. They should be 2 or 3 down by now. Naglesmann showing the hype isn’t just hype. Wonderful Football from Leipzig.
Danny S
Ozil wife is due
Valentin “Also the officiating of the offside rule using a freeze frame and a drawn line is ridiculous because despite what the official is trying to pretend this is not a fact but an interpretation of facts. The selection of the frame is selective as they don’t have a sync up to the milliseconds of when the ball was bit. And because of movement often in opposite directions choosing the previous or later frame could yield different result.” Finally something I can agree with you on 100% There’s abundant room for human error because someone has to determine the exact… Read more »
Danny S
he didn’t pull a sickie this time. The birth of his first child is why he is out of the squad.
The birth of a child is no excuse for skiving off…..
..
VAR should only be used when a glaring error occurs like two yards offside…
Timo Werner misses way too many chances for my liking
Werner is legit. Love how mobile he is and that he can run the flanks as well as lead the line.
Not the most clinical finisher but he’s more rounded the most CF’s.
Ha ha Spurs
No Eriksen, Son, Rose and Kane – fuck ’em
Atalanta are an offensive juggernaut, will be a tricky tie for whoever they play in the QF.
Just found this while surfin’ da web:
https://talksport.com/football/671561/jens-lehmann-liverpool-arsenal/
Only a Gooner would be saying this. Which is top marks in my book!!
On a more serious note: wouldn’t it be great if we were able to derail their neverending winning streak? Considering the game is at the end of the season, if we do get our shit together, it would make a great bonus to this very rocky season (and get the pool of piss fans to hate us; a good start on our journey back to the top IMO).
Tottenham are so much weaker in attack without Kane and Son. They are there for taking in the league. They are highly dependent on both to score goals. Leipzig really deserve their lead.
Ugly shit “defending” from Davies.
About time Leipzig scored.
Shocking from Schick, has to score there.
WengerEagle
“Atalanta are an offensive juggernaut”
They were noted on here a while back.
They are overall aggressive in their pressing and attacking.
Gasperini has done a great job there.
Atlanta are a delight to watch, very attacking minded..Illicic is having a monster season
Another golden chance wasted by Leipzig.
Should be 4 up and already through to the next round.
Pepe right and Werner left would be such a dream set up, with Auba up front
The jammy cunts that are spurs will probably nick an equalizer seeing as Leipzig are so wasteful
The Mourinho collapse might come early for spurs. Completely being outplayed here. And atalanta are insane. QF is theirs to lose already.
Ishola
I was calling for Gasperini in the summer, he’s done a top class job at Atalanta. Best attacking side in Italy and he’s spent peanuts assembling that side.
Papu Gomez is the star of the show, he’s an incredibly underrated baller.
Spuds look so short of ideas without Eriksen and they have no cutting edge without Son and Kane, especially Son being a critical loss.
Dele Alli has shown that he was a vastly overrated player these past couple of years.
Pasalic already a better winger than Hudson Odoi…Been a Chelsea player forever and hasn’t played for them… Love Gosens too, good engine on him
This Lo Celso kid starting to look a bit decent
Eagle
Love papu Gomez but Illicic is the man for me
WE
“I was calling for Gasperini in the summer, he’s done a top class job at Atalanta. Best attacking side in Italy and he’s spent peanuts assembling that side.”
Yeah probably the best job a coach has done at a club this season in europe and going back into last season.
All done with hardly any funds as you say and Atalanta have been a nothing club in Italy forever.
It’s their team play that is so impressive because really they don’t have any real star players.
Bati
Illicic is top notch but just feel that Papu is the fulcrum of the side and makes them tick, their entire attack is funneled through him.
Bizarre how he hasn’t got a look in for the Argentina NT and they had jokers like Pavon and Meza stinking up the WC side. He’s been playing at this level for years now.
GunnerDNA
Locelso has always been top class. Last season at betis he was something else. He will be a better player than eriksen but now they have Mourinho instead of Pochettino. And for 27 mil too we could have tried for him, God knows we need a good CAM.
Eagle
Yea Papu is absolutely brilliant, such a baller. The Argentine national team has been a joke for years so no surprises there
I have to admit I didn’t think Ozil had a good one in him. Must have slotted her in between training and fort nite somehow. Or maybe another man did it and Ozil just assisted ha.
Redtruth
You definitely are a troll or a chavvy cunt. Nothing would have made me miss the birth of any of my kids.
Ishola
And if you look at those players in Zapata and Muriel you essentially had two journeymen strikers that had never really settled anywhere and blew hot and cold, Gasperini has them now performing as two of the top strikers in the country when they’re given the minutes.
Illicic has always been a classy player but he’s kicked it up a couple of notches this season.
They’re an uncomfortable side for anyone to play and their big game record is outstanding. They suffocate sides with their pressure and pressing and have forward players that will hurt you.
Batistuta
Exactly what I was thinking! They are the luckiest club in the EPL, always getting the breaks, VAR friendly, lucky draws etc etc. Hope they come crashing down to their ‘real’ level anytime soon!
Batista.
Chelsea have some insane talent on loan. Pasalic is set to be sold in the summer for €15 million I think he’s 25 .
I’m watching the Spuds game am really impressed with Ampadu his ability to play long cross field passes is really something and really looks cool on the ball. He is going to be some player
Forsberg is a strange player, capable of absolute brilliance but is anonymous for such large amounts of spells.
Extremely lazy player too, never popular with gaffers never mind a high-octane nutter like Nagelsmann.
Lucas Moura has had a shit season truth be told. Another odd player, reminds me of Douglas Costa in that he can rise to the occasion and be electric in the big games but over the course of a season he’s just wildly inconsistent and more often than not disappointing.
Good tactic by Nagglesman not employing that suicidal high line be used a lot in the group stages
Lo Celso and Ndombele are very good on the ball CMs with mobility, energy and ball progression. They’re the type we need to replace Torreira and Ceballos in the summer. Hard to find those types who can play thru multiple phases with engine/technique
Nice pass back to the Leipzig keeper by Winks
Can’t help but feel that Leipzig will come to rue those missed chances, really should have put this tie to bed.
Should still be beyond the Spuds without Kane and Son but you never know after Ajax last season.
Too bad Leipzig only got one away goal.
So Spurs get slaughtered 1-0.
The only positives for Spurs atm is that the Dutch boy Bergwijn looks a decent signing for them and they still have decent central midfield options in the squad.
Other than that they look like they are going down the shitter.
Fucking hell, some decent competition in the EL this season just looking at the fixtures for tomorrow.
Lucky for us the best side in the comp in Inter Milan ought to be fielding a weakened side as they get to grips with juggling the Serie A title race and the 2nd leg of the Italian Cup SF at Napoli, with Conte’s poor record in Europe added to the mix I’d be surprised if they were still a feature late on.
Ajax are the team to be concerned over if we cross paths.
Loaning out Danny Rose was thick when you only have Ben Davies as the alternative.