What’s that you can hear? It’s Arsenal’s Safe Space Thursday™ brought to you in association with Europa League.
NO ONE CAN HURT YOU THERE.
We head to Ireland for a game against Dundalk. I can’t wait. We’re going to see free-flowing football, intricate goals, shots on target, balls into the final third, the passes will be on the ground all game. It’ll be a feast of football and I can’t wait.
Mikel said he’s going to take some of the kids over.
Will Balogun land a start? I hope so.
We’ll certainly see AMN, Eddie, and ESR. We MIGHT even see Miguel Azeez. Might be too early for Patino, but you never know what sort of madness the gaffer might drop after he’s been well and truly told by the fans this week (just kidding).
Tonight won’t mean much in the grand scheme of things, but you know what, who fucking cares? Just give me a 4-0 win to keep me breathing until Burnley smash us at the weekend.
What are we looking for? Signs of life. A clear plan. A little bit of joy.
My hope is that the Hale-Enders smell blood in the water. They need to sense their chance is coming soon, and they need to be extra motivated to put the dossers in the first team to bed. I’ve spoken about that AMN interview all week, because it said to me the young players gossip about the senior players not putting in a shift. Water cooler gossip about how much better you are than the person above you only matters if you eat the chance when it arrives.
We need the kids to show us the way. Arteta needs to prove out what a future with young creative players with athletic profiles could look like. He needs to take every opportunity he can to put a bit of confidence back in the project. Dundalk away is probably the best place to start.
I’ve watched all of Arteta’s press conferences since he joined and the show he put on yesterday was very interesting. He was grilled a little bit and put in situations he struggled to fight his way out of. There were two notable moments he tried to back out of.
The first was being asked about his DAZN Spain statement regarding the need for 5-6 new players to get to a 4-3-3. He really squirmed because he knew he’d fucked up there. He tried to make out he needed some sort of specificity, but he poorly tried to insinuate he could evolve players and he might have some of them in reserve. Super awkward. Everyone knows he needs new players, but you can’t really say that at the start of December if you want a turn out of the bums you’re currently trying to motivate to put their boots on.
He was then asked if the senior players in the league were letting him down. Again, you know he wanted to say OF COURSE THEY ARE, but he tried to smooth his way out by saying he wouldn’t pick the seniors if they were letting him down, and, by the way, he wanted everyone to be reminded he gives the kids games in cup finals and important games.
Not his finest performance. He looked very uncomfortable, usually, he’s very chipper. It’s all getting a bit twitchy. I’d imagine he’s very hurt by how quickly the fans turned this month and how fast the players he pumped have gone down the shitter. Still, no time to feel sorry for yourself, time to get this show BACK on the road.
10 good games in a row and all is forgotten.
He needs that 10 games to start from now. A huge ask, but all the good managers have the stardust to make it happen. Does Mikel? I hope so. I want to go back into the comments section on my own site this year. SO FFS MIKEL PULL IT TOGETHER MAN.
A short one today, but before I go…
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Won’t even see Balogan on the bench Sunday I bet.
Arteta gives Azeez 8 minutes, too fuckin’ generous.
Gbat
So how much is Runnarson paid?
You seem very adamant that it is not 40k per week.
Our keeper is shite
The real test for tonight should have been to play the first team assist Dundalk and see if they could win.
Missed opportunity by arteta.
Lolz!!!
Runarsson is shite!!!
OMG Rúnarsson
WTF
first team against*
Runnason == Almunia v2
Our GK has a time delay before reacting!
Love balogans runs
I don’t know if he is a baller.. but Azeez is a baller name. Looks good in gothic script.
Anyhow.. Runnardude isn’t exactly a wall is he?
Balogun is the best striker at the club btw, I won’t hear anything more about it.
Poor positioning Runa boy! Both goals could be saved.
Runnarson is like 5 feet tall how is he in goal? Worthless signing. Imagine Leno getting injured. We’ll be conceding 3-4 goals per match.
I’ll have you lot know their were a lot of Sunday league teams looking at Runnason before we bought him. Can’t believe you can’t see the potential
AMN is fast!!!
Cottrell reminds me of Jack.
Imagine getting beat on a backwards header, that possibly came off a shoulder by a guy named Hoare?!?! I would quit right then and there.
Soares plays a better LW role tonight than Pepe
Good turn there by Azeez, this kid is a baller.
Azeez looks excellent
@Valentin
Yes but can he play the ball sideways and backwards as good as Xhaka? Thought not
Outrageous conceding two goals against this Sunday pub side.
Outrageous!
Azeez and Cordell have some great feet.
Future is bright
Awwww give Chambers a goal.. nope denied.
How quick is AMN wow
Bacary,
Your boy is not only slow of foot but of mind as well 😃😝
@TheGodfather
If Arteta remains the future isn’t bright at all. He won’t play them and they’ll fuck off to another team just like Balogun wants too
AMN ran faster than the pass!
Amazing the talent we have at Arsenal and yet it’s still always xhaka starting. SMH.
Arteta is at some point going to have to trust his eye test and play these kids in the league.
Nice azeez
Xhaka is a mirror image of Mikel as a player. It’s why he’ll always get the nod
He does not play youths that have 100 appearances for us in Niles
Watching the youngsters play and make mistakes is far far more enjoyable for me. Wish we’d play some of them in the Prem
No way Arteta was a better player than Xhaka
Alright then.. entertaining but back to reality
Known fuck off with 5 years before these players get in the first team. Have you seen our first team? It’s shite!
@Mr Serge
No he was as shit as Xhaka
Azeez will make the first team in the next few years. Has that elegance about him. It would have helped if he was 19 and further along in his development.
AMN only one I’d consider for 1st 11 tonight. Like the look of Azeez.
arteta plays Xhaka because he reminds him of himself – slow, crab-like, passes sideways, good teeth, kempt hair – bull shitter.
What. A. Win!! Against the mighty Dundalk.
We are qualified (what s surprise)..
I can only agree. It may seem like madness but play the youth in the EPL. You can’t tell me that they can’t do any worse than these pisstaking seniors in our team.
At least they will show willingness to learn.
I’d rather have them play than the overpaid shite that is helping with the rot that has beheld our club.
AMN’s speed is what we are missing in our first team. Even Pepe doesn’t use his speed anymore. Our first team always seems to get stuck in the mud and then send those long crosses into the box.
For me ESR and AMN for first team. Remember ESR played for a year at Huddersfield. He can take the physical nature of the league. Pepe didn’t do much for me other than the assist.
Also rather see Cedric than Bellerin.
What I’d take from the game is Balogun and Azeez look ready to play .
They look confident, physically strong, athletic and a good technique and the question that should be asked is .
WHY HAVEN’T THEY STARTED EVERY EUROPA GAME..
Azeez did more on the ball in his ten minutes on the pitch than Xhaka has done in 5 years
The player who impressed me the most in youth game was Azeez. In my view he is the future No8 at this club. He can receive the ball under pressure and then release it quickly forward. Unfortunately he may not be ready physically. The one aspect that he needs to improve is his shooting ability. I know that a lot of people like ESR, but to me Azeez has a higher ceiling. ESR is good, but he is an old fashion No10 and I am not sure that teams still use such type of players. He will have to be… Read more »
Fuck how old they are, play them on performance, drop them on performance, all of them. Runnarson, it’s a joke right?
ESR, Balogun and AMN start against burnley for me, heck they would start the rest of the season.
Could have started both Balogun and Eddie tonight ..their style will compliment eachother…i don’t suppose it will ever happen though.
Probably didn’t put enough crosses in today for Mikels liking.
It’ll be back to type on Sunday.
The truth is the last thing we want is Arteta’s dark touch infecting the young players in a PL match.
Better to keep them back and let the new manager help them take the next step.
Dundalk are so shite that you can’t make judgements on players.
What can be taken from the match though is we managed to concede two goals.
Disappointing to see the wing back system return ..
Would have loved to have seen ESR in the no.10 role in a 4-2-3-1….he played decent but as valentin said, he’s a no.10.
Feels like Arteta may have bottled it after a couple of defeats and will return to the negative wing back system.
This is Pierre territory.
He loves matches like this.
The performance of Runnarsson isn’t surprising.
The best predictor of future poor performance is a past history of poor performances
He is on 40k weekly, that’s what was reported when he was signed in all the media that covered it.
6000k weekly at Dijon to 40k weekly at Arsenal
https://www.teamtalk.com/news/prospective-new-signing-takes-arsenal-medical-as-terms-are-revealed#:~:text=Icelandic%20outlet%20DV%20claims%20Runarsson,around%20%C2%A340%2C000%20a%20week.&text=Runarsson's%20arrival%20will%20allow%20Aston,the%20signing%20of%20Emiliano%20Martinez.
Remember that Kroenke is s stingy bastard.
**He is on 40k weekly, that’s what was reported when he was signed in all the media that covered it.
6k weekly at Dijon to 40k weekly at Arsenal
🙂 ooops …need some caffeine
Gaz- “For me ESR and AMN for first team. Remember ESR played for a year at Huddersfield. He can take the physical nature of the league.”
He played 6 months there and made 19 appearances, not a full season.
I thought Azeez looked very promising.
This was the perfect game for Ozil to show his fizz.
Dissenter
“ooops …need some caffeine”
Seriously – it’s not caffeine you need.
Marc
I’m doing three things at once and really need to get my late afternoon coffee.
The+Godfather
Chambers should be sold in the summer so you really don’t know what you’re talking about. My point is that you were way too harsh on a player who has been out so long. I do stand corrected that it is not his first game back but the main point stands.
Ishola
“This is Pierre territory.He loves matches like this.”
Feel free to come on and whinge..
There are too many players who have stagnated at Arsenal- Holding, Chambers, ESR and now Eddie
Move them on next summer and start an escalator system that gives kids in the academy opportunities to play for the senior team.
Pierre
“Feel free to come on and whinge..”
OK – your goal swing is rubbish and I hear that you cheat!
Our top scorer is stagnating ..classic
Voted.
Just a few things to come out if tonight’s game.
1. Cedric offers far more than Bellerin and he knows how to take a throw in, so that’s a bonus.
2. Elneny has to be ahead of Xhaka.
3. AMN should be playing in the first XI.
4. Runarsson doesn’t look all that.
5. Mari still looks very rusty.
6. Nketiah still looks miserable.
7. Balogun looks hungry and should be given more game time.
8. Mustafi is still Mustafi.
9. Azeez, in his brief time on the pitch, looked good.
10.Chambers is still slow.
Goodnight.
Crazy, these minnows put 2 past us.
Anyone who genuinely thinks Runarsson is earning £40k a week is an idiot.
MGooner
Not sure you’re going to enjoy Sunday then.
Jamie
You keep questioning the reported wages of our patient with no scrap of evidence to challenge what was reported. That’s your M.O. here
I can post report after report that was published in the media
What do you have to dispute these reports?
You really are one numpty clod. Why don’t you just direct the “idiot” comment to me directly.
Jamie
So how much is he earning then?
I genuinely would like to know.
And why would outlets then BS on the £40k per week?
Graham
4. Runarsson doesn’t look all that.
5. Mari still looks very rusty.
Typical Arteta signings,
Subservient, nice boys and who can make pretty passes BUT cant actually do the basics.
Which is to be a commanding keeper and a robust,mobile commanding center half.
Garbage. No one stockpiles it like us.
CG
You’re actually the fan equavelent of what you just described. Big talk but can’t actually do the basics which is to SUPPORT YOUR TEAM
Pierre
“Our top scorer is stagnating ..classic”
Top scorer, says it all lol
This result will no doubt cheer the AKB’s brigade.
There is a reason why we can only send crosses for our offense : – Our midfielders are not good enough to attack through the middle – Whenever we advance the ball from the wing to their final third, our two strikers will always enter the box waiting for the crosses. The opponent knows that this is our only way of attack. They out number us on the wing. Our full back and our winger can’t carry the ball inside the box. Their only option is sending all those crosses. Here is a simple modification to Arteta’s offense.: – When… Read more »
The ‘article’ is the Icelandic equivalent of the Daily Star. The quote Dissenter has totally scrutinised as evidence: “Rúnar Alex will sign a five-year contract with Arsenal.” This part was added to the quote after it was translated: “and is likely to command modest wages of around £40,000 a week.” Yeah, “likely to command” is super strong evidence. Let’s ignore the first part where he signed a 5 year contract. He didn’t. He signed a 4 year contract. Shit reporting that keeps getting recycled. We are not paying him twice what we just resigned Saka on. We didn’t replace Emi… Read more »
Raul
Ill always support the young players , but not the mercs.
And you’ll never hear me critiscize Arsenal stalwarts either. I am AW’s biggest admirer.
If I could get back for a game- I would boo Willian throughout the 90 mins and in the warm up.
And hope the whole ground would do likewise.
AW’s biggest admirer……..lol
Setting the club back decades and hiring duds like Arteta.
Runarsson looks like the guy that is forced to go in goal because no one else wants to when the regular goalkeeper is injured during a match. Why buy him when we have Hein and Okonkwo in the u23’s? Another crazy decision.
Everyone keeps on about this nobody Balogun
Anyone who has faith in Arteta is giving the thumbs up to the board lol
Azeez, Cotrell, Balogun, ESR, Moller, Cirjan, Hein – all should be knocking at the door. Any other club would be integrating them into the first team squad. We have left it much too late and persisted with the usual suspects. I am not surprised that some of these kids want to leave.
“Anyone who genuinely thinks Runarsson is earning £40k a week is an idiot.”
Dissenter “Hold my beer”.
Calypso,
I don’t get it – what’s in it for you?
Even if you’re right and people are getting a bit over-excited, why troll a promising 19 year-old like Balogun?
You’re coming across like Jacob Rees-Mogg.
Every report of Runnarsson’s Arsenal wages is 40k weekly
Jamie knows best but won’t cite a single source to dispute what is widely available
Just like Trump he depends on his gut.
Dissenter has presented no evidence of Runarsson’s salary, yet expects others to disprove it. Dumb.
Dissenter/Jamie,
Whether Runarsson is paid £2k or £40k a week, the fact remains: he looks shit for a back-up keeper.
If you look at transfer market and a few other sites it says runnarson is on 8k a week no way he earns more than wilock and nketiah on 10k a week
Which Legrovelling lowlife bought Pedro 15,000 bot votes on his semi-final? Oreo now 55% vs 45% to Steak.
Or is this a bit of Raul The Spiv chicanery from our Thought Leader?
He is so shit though
Looks like we may get to keep balogan I think he is the most natural striker at the club
He says he wants to say they are in talks over his contract
Elmo- The mail in votes came in.. accept it, Your not demanding a recount are you? 😀
Oreo winning?
STOP THE STEAL!
I hope arteta gets no where near our youngsters. Not one youngster has broken through under him. Saka broke through under emery.
We TWO, 2, TWO, yes two keepers on the bench, but couldn’t find a spot for saliba. Arteta is an utter joke.
Oreo owning gone full Biden 2020 as Middy said with the mail in’s.