CUP GAMES MIGHT NOT BE FOR THE KIDS + ARTETA COMMUNICATIONS SHIFT

by .

I spent last week back in England after two years out of the game due to the pandemic. Honestly, it was so good to be back. I knew it had been too long because I was oddly enamoured with people’s accents. I loved the little things, like not being able to get a haircut until after 3pm on a Saturday, or being strong-armed into destruction drinking by nearly everyone. I honestly can’t wait to be back at Christmas and take a few games in. I miss London man, I’m in pieces at my desk this morning stroking a box of PG Tips whispering ‘alright you facking melt’ quietly to myself.

The other nice thing about the trip? I am something of a good luck charm for Arteta’s career. He won his first game with my presence and he just pulled himself partially out of a hole this weekend.

I went back over his interviews. I don’t know what the ground zero situation looked like over the past two weeks, but it felt to me like some people at the club sat down with him and had a proper conversation. I might just be projecting what I’d liked to have happened.

Notable things:

Vibes: His demeanour was very different before the game. He’s back to selling a future we can buy into. There was no moping or feeling sorry for himself. There were no excuses, no disgruntlement at what had gone on, just a laser focus on clearly communicating with the fans what the plan is moving forward.

Content: I think his content has improved over the past couple of weeks. The main message I was getting from his pressers is that he’s happy with the talent, but more than that, he’s happy with the new characteristics of his squad. I’ve found that interesting. When he spoke of his new players, he spoke of their personality traits. Tomi was ‘all smiles with a desire to play’, Sambi Lokonga ‘was desperate to play despite a knock’, and Aaron Ramsdale ‘is a great energy, something different.’ 

Happy family: I think Arteta also went to great lengths to thank the wider staff for getting him through it. Moving up to manager can cloud your ego, we’ve all been there, you make director and you think you’re a GOD of the internet at first. Arteta is not a god, so throwing his weight around in August in press conferences like peak-Jose wouldn’t have gone down well. It read to me like maybe he’d been force-fed a bit of humble pie because he was very keen to stress that everyone had mucked in.

Have you ever seen those memes on the internet where there’s a bear hugging a dog with a caption like “This bear loves the dog” then an animal expert writes underneath “this is a dog tied to a bowl, the bear is about it eat him.” That could be me with these hack observations. They might not be true, but whatever went on, one thing is for sure: the players didn’t down tools on him. Sure, it wasn’t an A+ performance for the ages, but you could see the specifics of what we were trying to do. I thought we were very aggressive for most of the game, our players pressed far harder than they usually do, and our overall play was far more unpredictable. Ben White creates chances, has great passing, and uses his runs to create overloads. Sambi Lokonga, quite simply, is not Dani Ceballos. Tomiyasu gives us height defending longballs, he gives us an option outwide, and he can actually right back. Ramsdale can pass so playing out the back looks good. It didn’t work as a piece of art, but at the very least, you could see the component parts and how they’ll make us better.

Some of the criticism after the game did make for painful reading. People position themselves as elite analysts of the futbol but fail to understand that we’re putting humans out on the pitch. You put a bunch of people together in a new office and it takes a while to get going, it’s the same with footballers. Arteta gifted 4 players home debuts, only one of our back 5 remained the same from the previous two games, we started a brand new keeper, we ran a midfield pairing that had never played together, and we did that all in the first game after the international break.

I know we’re all dying for a blowout here, but once again, we have to accept that it’s going to take a bit of time to start firing on all cylinders.

The good news? 

  1. We don’t have European football so the players can spend more time on the training ground
  2. We have specificity in the important positions, so if we can keep players fit, we’ll have a system that works
  3. We’ve played the two best teams in the country right now

I suspect the club will have a lot of attention on Spurs, who have been shite this season, because that’s an Arteta Cup Final. It’ll be very interesting to see what he does against Wimbledon this week in the league cup. For me, it’s not a rest day, it’s a ‘let’s work each other out’ game. It’s a practice game with a trophy attached to it. Certain players shouldn’t be risked, like Saka, Auba and ESR, but I’d really like to see a strong team out there so we can get some minutes in the legs.

This idea does run into challenges though. We have all these fantastic kids looking for minutes. Folarin Balogun scored for the U23s at the weekend. We’re all watching the Patino hype videos. These players need experience as well. There’s a balance… but the most important thing at the moment is the development of the first team and for the players to get to full match fitness.

I’m weirdly looking forward to the away day at Burnley. It’ll be a roughhouse game and I want to see how this new defence stands up to a thug 90 minutes. I think we have more than enough to dispatch them and I really hope they can be the team we find our edge against.

Right, that’s me done for the day, see you in the comments… and please watch the videos below.

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Tom

Bacary, didn’t Raducanu migrate to England when she was two?

Nelson

Matt
someone in his position needs to be getting between 5 – 10 goals a season,
____________________________________________________________________

I would demand both Saka and ESR to get between 5 – 10 goals a season, For Odegaard I would demand 10 assists.

Graham62

Bacaryisgod My two children were both born in Doha, Qatar. I’m English, my wife is Eritrean. It’s a sign of the times. Emma Raducanu was 2 years old when she came to the UK. Where you were born has nothing to do with how strong a country is at a particular sport, although in the case of Canada, I know they’ve invested heavily in their tennis program over the past decade or so. The LTA, for all their failings over the years, have also improved greatly these past few years. Can see more youngsters coming through the system over the… Read more »

bacaryisgod

Tom,

She did. I didn’t mean to give any credit to Canada for her development, but it sounded like it did. Maybe impressive was the wrong word to use!

English fans have taken to her because she’s been in the country for nearly all her life, unlike Rusedki who showed up with the strong Canadian acccent and said he came for ‘lifestyle’ reasons. The fact he had an English mother was less important than the appearance of not being English.

bacaryisgod

Graham62

Like I said before, impressive was completely the wrong word. It was more of a coincidence.

Of course it’s a different world. My son who was born in the United States considers himself 100% American and would support the U.S against either of his parents’ birth countries.

englandsbest

Boy, the anti-Arteta brigade as ever scurrying around for reasons to justify an opinion that is rapidly becoming obsolete. Now it’s “Norwich, the worst team in PL” That may or may not be the case, it’s far too soon to tell.

bacaryisgod

englandsbest

That’s your argument? Even the most pro-Arteta fan recognizes that a home game against them is not a true test of what the revamped Arsenal squad can do.

We’ll all have a much better idea after Burnley and Spurs.

Valentin

Tom,

https://twitter.com/Matchday365/status/1436672302234615817?s=19

Lucas Moura was trying to milk a foul like he kept doing the all game, did not get it, stay on the floor to gain sympathy from the referee. If he had stood up, he would have been in position to block the pass to Zaha. In any case, Tanganga has no right to make justice himself.

raptora

The win by 3 goals vs Fulham, in the opening round last year, was a great barometer for our class. Owait…

salparadisenyc

No question Norwich will struggle this season along with the usual suspects but they’ve had a wretched start to season with Liverpool, City, Leicester and the mighty Arsenal… whom put a glorious goals past them akin to summiting Everest that effort. Denied not an option.

In all seriousness Norwich will likely get relegated but this position they are currently in is potentially false.

Sid

Raducanu is lucky to have been born in Canada, had she been born in England the nurses accents and looks would have scared the talent out of her

Bob N16

I know Odegaard is the same player as last season but psychologically I feel much more invested in him as he is now our player! On Saturday there were two or three occasions that the ball seemed didn’t quite fall for him, in future games, l would hope that he’ll be able to get shots off. What surprised and impressed me most in equal measures was his workrate. It felt like he was leading the press on many occasions and a couple of times towards the end of the game he tracked all the way back conceding a corner with… Read more »

Tom

Valentin, I agree.
I guess I didn’t make it clear enough. I thought it should’ve been a straight red regardless what happened after the challenge itself.

Emiratesstroller

bacaryisgod I do not disagree with your analysis about our transfer business or the reasons for not selling Xhaka to Roma. Currently our expectations for this season are low and we are still very much in rebuild mode. Our midfield is currently rather average, but if we add Patino and Azeez to the squad then over next couple years the dynamic could well change. Patino is a very versatile player who can play in almost any position in the midfield. If we hold onto Saka, Partey, Odegaard, Smith-Rowe and Lokonga the midfield will look a lot healthier than it does… Read more »

Bob N16

I think where you’re brought up and spend your formative years (school years) has the greatest impact on your sense of belonging. Obviously your parents and their cultural upbringing is also integral as well as how you feel you have been treated by your adopted country.

Where you’re born is almost incidental other than having bureaucratic significance – e.g. getting a passport! Not sure Canada deserves much reflected glory on Radecanu’s success.

China1

Pierre it was only a few days ago you were on here bagging on people for being negative

Apparently you’ve forgotten yourself…

Sid

British society has been highly influenced by the concept of social class ,
A person with Romanian and Chinese heritage will stir that discussion

Graham62

Sal

There is always someone somewhere trying to justify things.

Norwich are poor. As it stands, we are not that much better and all the other teams you speak of are far superior.

Nelson

Pedro

She is 19, father Romanian, mother Chinese.

salparadisenyc

Graham

Haha ok, I’m not trying to justify anything other than stating thats a tough run of games for any side and yes Norwich will likely get relegated.

This site wound so god damn tight in anti Arteta mania its lost its best value, essentially le groves core – banter.

Matt

I think we just need to take the 3 points, be happy with it and move on to the next game. Disingenuously trying to make out that Norwich are in fact a much better team then their league position suggests is a bit much. They will be hovering around the relegation zone and will likely be in the bottom three. Name me three teams worse than Norwich, and no, you cant choose Arsenal! You can only beat what is in front of you and in this case, we beat a poor team and were not overly convincing doing it and… Read more »

AFC Forever

Pedro

“Sal, 100%.‘Potentially’Arsenal, City, Liverpool and Leicester in their first 5 games means their position is 100% in the arena of ‘maybe it’s the level of teams they are playing.’

I said this earlier. The desperation to discredit the win with what we all know was a makeshift team using an untried back 5 and centre midfield is really telling. This is a predictable narrative because some people are that sad.

Guns of SF

Norwich came to play against us.
A tougher test will be Burnley team brexit

I think Ode is better deeper… we need better ball movement and deep passing ….

ESR the all action hero should stay forward… he is not afraid of contact or getting into the box…unlike Ode

Hope TP gets healthier… he was a beast in the middle, covering lots of ground…

But again, it was Norwich so lets see

Tom

” I cannot remember us winning a game without 99% on here being upset or passing it off as some kind of lucky or freak event. Truly bizarre.”

No one who wrote this can ever pretend to be a straight shooter , ever.

Bob N16

Pedro, without wishing to go down a psychological rabbit hole, it says much more about the commentator who seems determined to find a negative in a situation that is clearly positive.
Not the first time on Legrove that one can experience that phenomenon!

As a Londoner, I am proud of our city’s diversity and am delighted that Emma R. is such an amazing example of a young woman flourishing after her family’s arrival in the UK. Immigration has been and will remain a vital ingredient in the health of our country- she can be the new poster!

Bob N16

poster girl – what an advert!

AFC Forever

Graham62 “Norwich are poor. As it stands, we are not that much better and all the other teams you speak of are far superior” So what? Man City, Chelsea and Liverpool are miles ahead of us. That’s a fact. This season we have bought a lot of new young players and due to covid and injuries we haven’t been able to play them yet. The team that played Norwich Saturday had never played together before and there were a number of debutants. The back five was a complete change, so too the centre midfield with Lokonga and AMN. Yet you… Read more »

salparadisenyc

That Norwich win was as scrappy as they come, only thing scrappier was the goal. Clearly sometimes thats what it takes to get off the mark. But a few positive signs can be found in Tomiyasu, ESR, Øde will get better together if Arteta decides to pull hand break on mid, Ramsdale who made no sense coming in unless it was to take over. Auba was still shit but shit with an extra bounce in his step and thats encouraging. He’s a confidence player and finding net however it falls will only help. Brings up the biggest worry, clearly lack… Read more »

Sid

“”””Psychological rabbit hole””””
Do Not throw stones when living in a glass house, i will leave it at that

Tom

“”“ I cannot remember us winning a game without 99% on here being upset or passing it off as some kind of lucky or feral event.Truly bizarre”.Spot on.Never a truer sentiment.Sumsup the negativity succinctly.“””

We’ve had the pleasure of reading posts from posters like the “Positive Pete” and the “ Negative Nigel”………….
but the one above could only have come from a “ Senile Sam”.

Bob N16

Trite shite from you know who!

Guns of SF

Sid

I agree. Mike does not know how to coach an attack. That is clear.

So, give the mids the freedom, let them play freely in training, to get a feel for each other instead of rigid positioning and defensive minded tactics.

Let the mids be free is what I say.

usually players will figure things out on their own.

Guns of SF

Sorry, meant to write Sal

Sid, I also agree with most of what you say…lol

Matt

AFC forever coming back and telling everyone how to be a proper fan when he has been like Lord Lucan since the start of the season. Very amusing.

salparadisenyc

Guns

Our mids a weird thing to watch, knowing Arteta played under Wenger almost like he over correcting where big Weng was too slack. And in doing so he’s auto corrected the flow right out of it. Solid metaphor for whole project.

Sure i’m in the minority on this one but i’m all in on a mid field three of ESR/Ø with Partey pinning.

AFC Forever

Sal.

Yes we do need to be sharper in front of goal. It doesn’t matter how well we play in other areas of the pitch if we can’t finish. Aubameyang was poor last season and cost us a number of points that would have made a difference. Pepe needs to deliver more too, he can’t just chip in with the odd special goal.

Guns of SF

Sal

Love the auto correct correlation.

I would still play ESR as the main attacker in a 3 man mid…
he likes to burst into the box… Ode not so much

Jamie

Does AFC SuperBam ever stop fucking whinging?

AFC Forever

Bob “As a Londoner, I am proud of our city’s diversity and am delighted that Emma R. is such an amazing example of a young woman flourishing after her family’s arrival in the UK. Immigration has been and will remain a vital ingredient in the health of our country- she can be the new poster Girl” Totally agree. I feel sorry for her after such a great achievement. What she did was incredible. Her parents emigrated to the UK from Canada yet minutes after her win, Gary Lineker and others like him made it political. Totally irrelevant her Father is… Read more »

Emiratesstroller

Pedro There is a growing trend in sport generally and also in football that we are producing more intelligent and better educated sports people. Radecanu attended the same grammar school as Asher-Smith the sprinter. Her school adjoins the Bromley Tennis Centre where she did her training. Asher-Smith attended Kings College,London University where she took a degree in History. I would not be surprised that Radecanu will also study for a degree. The current British National U18 Tennis Champion attends Highgate School, but benefits also from training in a Centre of Excellence. She is 6′ 1″ tall!! There is a similar… Read more »

Guns of SF

Sal I would go as far as thinking that MA is rather clueless.
He played with Wenger, and coached with Pep.
Both enjoyed heavy possession, and freedom to attack in the final third.
He is clueless. Unless he fancies being like Simeone?
A boring bland player himself… it does not surprise me that this is what we have.
Rather shocking if you consider his supposed Pedigree… Spanish, Wenger, Pep, etc….

salparadisenyc

Guns

Of the three managers you’d think had biggest impact on Mikel those being Pep, Wenger and Moyes he certainly emulates that latter more than other two thus far.

salparadisenyc

AFC Forever

Think we should of addressed in transfer window,, taking Laca/Auba/Pepe into third season expecting big gains wasn’t very sharp thinking if were honest.

Fully understand shifting one was a tricky endeavour but it was a necessary one for me.

Kroenkephobe

There is a growing trend in sport generally and also in football that we are producing more intelligent and better educated sports people.

Yeah right. Rooney, Grealish and our very own Granit Xhaka. Would you have those three suave intellectuals in your pub quiz team?

Kroenkephobe

ES
Oooh – where would the UK be without public (for overseas readers who might not know, public means private fee paying schools which ES presumably imagines are the answers to all of Britain’s ills) . Racist Bojo, pig fucker Cameron, Nigel Farage and Randy Prince Andy all attended very costly public schools. They’re great role models.

ES – just a bit of balance there mate all right? Most Brits would struggle with the 20k per term fees of course but they’re definitely the answer to levelling up Britain.

Dissenter

Even in America, where most of the professional sports people go through a collegiate system would anyone be talking about producing more educated and intelligent people.

You have to be educated and intelligent in your own right to win a major championship regardless of what schools you went or didn’t attend.
Mohammed Ali didn’t have a college degree but was many times more intelligent and better educated than the Ivy-league educated journalists who used to interview him. early in his career.

Bertie Mee

Pedro
English beer must have rotted your brain. You’re not paying attention.
I learnt on here Ramsdale is a serial relegationist, White was crap at Brighton and Leeds, Tomatisu was being hawked around Europe , Odegaard is meh and Arteta should have been fired weeks ago,
Grovers know

bacaryisgod

Bob/Pedro It’s weird how some people pop off without reading the following posts…. I said clearly ‘impressive’ was the wrong word. Canada deserves no credit for her performance but it is an unlikely coincidence that both finalists were born there. As for focusing on her heritage, I haven’t seen much of that. She clearly has been embraced by the English public and her parents’ nationalities don’t make her less English. She’s grown up in England from the age of 2. She’s English. But let’s not get too pompous about this heritage issue. Raducanu herself has openly embraced her heritage as… Read more »

AFC Forever

Sal

“Think we should of addressed in transfer window,, taking Laca/Auba/Pepe into third season expecting big gains wasn’t very sharp thinking if were honest”

I don’t disagree with you. Obviously, Aubamayeng is a top-quality striker but last season he was anything. It wasn’t just his poor finishing but his general play too. Hopefully, the adage about form being temporary proves true. Lacazette was the one for me. I like the bloke and think he is great with the youngsters but that’s where an upgrade was doable.

It makes me giggle this shit about the female tennis player Emma Radancu. If she’s lost last night, she would of been a fucking Romanian, but moment she won…..you 100% British she is 🤣🤣🤣. It’s like I said to a mate during the euro’s, all the while Saka , Sterling where helping England progress…. Lovely guys they really are, the moment England lose, yeah they’re not one of us are they. Fucking idiots

As for education in this country, it’s SHIT. If you pay for it it’s great, but trust me education in this country is shocking. Do you know that during exams they have to have a digital clock and an analogue clock because some of these kids can’t tell the time on an analogue clock. Seriously…..mad isn’t it to think that this generation will one day be running the country yet they can’t tell the time lol

Pierre

“Does AFC SuperBam ever stop fucking whinging?”

Jamie whinging about another poster whinging …classic.

Kroenkephobe

Bacary, the left have been the worst about it.

Pedro
Evidence please.

Bob N16

Pedro, one thing should be said about Ramsdale is that he has seamlessly inherited the Aaron Ramsey chant which must have really helped make his debut more satisfying. You’re talking sh*t TYAG. Sterling, Sancho and Rashford received unbelievable support from the country after the trolls had a go at them. Did you not see the wall of support Saka had at London Colney, Rashford uo in Manchester? Have you not heard the applause fans from other clubs have been giving Saka – even the Spuds. The trolls lost, decent people stood up to be counted. You’re also wrong about Raducanu.… Read more »

Northbanker

Leaving Arteta aside (his poor tactical acumen has been exposed too many times), it does look like we’ve bought well this Summer even if we missed out on Bissouma. (who would have improved us more than any of the signings we actually made). The next manager will have a very good base to work with.

Bob N16

Pedro, where Radecanu is from is understandably of interest. Don’t label it a lefty preoccupation – arriving into the country as an immigrant is obviously newsworthy.

The fact she speaks Mandarin, aced her A levels, competed in go karts and Motocross is also of interest.

Kroenkephobe

Pedro
That example was absolutely pathetic and about as empirical as me offering the historical anecdote about old right wing bastard Norman Tebbit and his cricket test in the 20th century. Good job you’re in advertising/marketing and journalism.

RecycledOldSock

Raducanu wears Romanian colours which shows where her alligiance lies.

Kroenkephobe

The cricket test, also known as the Tebbit test, was a controversial phrase coined in April 1990 by the British Conservative politician Norman Tebbit in reference to the perceived lack of loyalty to the England cricket team among South Asian and Caribbean immigrants and their children

Pedro
That right wing Tebbit cricket test thingy.

Kroenkephobe

Quant analysis – schmant analysis. Not remotely interested in fake news.

@Bob

How am I talking shit when I predicted what abuse these players would get the moment England lost. Did they not get abused? So then it can’t be bollocks. Also Bob I’m Turkish Cypriot but born in England so I’ve suffered my fair share of racism. And trust me just because you’re born here, the majority always see you as a foreigner

bacaryisgod

Pedro

‘Let’s talk about her amazing achievement and where it ranks, versus arguing over whether the nurse she was born to was important’.

Very well said.

Kroenkephobe

Recycled – blimey. I guess that also means she’s a Palace and Barca fan. Good job she wasn’t wearing a navy blue and white outfit. And don’t get me started on Tim Henman at Wimbledon – clearly a Leeds supporter just like all the others. Just try resetting and feeling happy for her.

bacaryisgod

The dumbest thing is of course there are very few ‘pure’ English people around any more. We all have some French, Norwegian, German, Scottish, Irish, or Spanish etc in our background.

In the U.S, they have the pledge of allegiance. which almost all kids have to recite every day at school. It’s a little brainwashy but pretty effective (until an unarmed black kid gets shot by the police but ler’s no go there again…)

But before anyone comes at with me, every country is racist, we’ll that I agree with. Round England I’m known as a bloody Turk, go back to Cyprus and I’m called a ‘bloody England we’ lol. Can’t win 😁

‘Bloody Englander’

RecycledOldSock

You may as well scrap the World Cup if Nationalty means nothing.

salparadisenyc

‘Let’s talk about her amazing achievement and where it ranks, versus arguing over whether the nurse she was born to was important’. God damn right. Raducanu won the title after having to qualify for the tournament, thats 3 more matches played than others not dropping a set. No other qualifier had made a semi final in a major on either mens or womens side. Leylah Fernandez in four matches from 3rd round defeated last years champion 4x major winner Osaka, 3 time major winner and 10th ranked Kerber, world number 4 Svitolina and world number 2 Sabalenka en route to… Read more »

Emiratesstroller

Kroenkephobe Most of the leading independent schools provide means tested bursaries. That includes the leading boarding and London Day Schools. They can provide up to 100% cover. There are also sports scholarship schemes. Many of the top schools are providing financial support for between 10-20% of all students at the school. Many of the top independent schools are also funding or supporting leading state academies. Highgate is partnering Tottenham Hotspur in the London Sixth Form Academy based in Haringey. They are also involved in the sister Academy based in Hackney alongside leading private schools such as Eton and Brighton. Most… Read more »

bacaryisgod

Pedro

‘American’s don’t go on about the parents after one of their kids smashes up a tournament’.

Not sure we should look at America as a shining light in this regard. The racial intolerance is off the charts as is the number of white Americans offended by the terms Asian-American or African-American and that’s not even including the ‘black lives matter’ opponents.

bacaryisgod

Thank you and Goodnight,

I’m a white Englishman living in America. I’m seen as a foreigner but they love the English over here so obviously no racism.

Not really belonging to a country is a common issue for people living in a foreign country. I certainly don’t feel that English any more but neither do I really feel American. But that’s the path I chose so no complaints.

Upstate Gooner

“You put a bunch of people together in a new office and it takes a while to get going, it’s the same with footballers.” Except that it’s not. Arteta had a couple of weeks of training/preparation with the squad including the new additions. If I’m say an IT manager for a big company and we’ve just added a few new people (all of whom are highly skilled/paid professionals, I might add) to an already existing team operating at a (supposedly) high level, AND I had two weeks working with them before incorporating with the rest of the troops, you can… Read more »

Bertie Mee

Thank you and Goodnight
You’re very welcome in any country I hail from
Immigration enriches the world .
As for Raducanu she chooses to live in Britain and identifies as British and on top of everything else she’s gorgeous as well as being brilliant at tennis . That game was the best women’s match I’ve ever seen in terms of quality ,power and intensity

RecycledOldSock

The Republic of Ireland were the worst for recruiting foreigners.

Ernest Reed

“It makes me giggle this shit about the female tennis player Emma Radancu. If she’s lost last night, she would of been a fucking Romanian,”

She’s actually Canadian, born in Toronto and moved to the UK at age two.

Tom

Raducanu’s heritage or the exact timeline when she arrived in Britain is of no importance to me whatsoever. The story of an 18 qualifier winning the US open is good enough for me. Although she didn’t exactly do it against the likes of peak Graf, Williams, or Seles, so maybe a bit perspective isneeded while proclaiming it one of the biggest achievements in all of sports ever. But then again you can’t say that without being labeled a hater who must obviously have some issues. Her highest ranked opponents were 4th, 18th, and 28th and none with a GS title… Read more »

Bob N16

Pedro, slightly ironic that you were accusing the left of a supposed fixation on her nationality and by doing that you were highlighting the same issue. TYAG, as a ‘Northern European looking’ person, I’ve not suffered from racism and therefore slightly unqualified to meaningfully comment. Living in inner city London, I am not in a white bubble. I see diversity as a way to a tolerant society that everybody benefits from. I was not surprised by the racist trolls but was delighted that there was a positive, supportive response to those black English players who missed penalties. I prefer to… Read more »

englandsbest

emiratestroller I think we have better educated pro footballers nowadays. More intelligent? I doubt that. Intelligence is inborn. People do not become more intelligent as they become better educated. The IQ test of someone at, say, eleven, is around the same at twenty-one, even though by then he may have a first class degree. But I do believe the sports press have become less intelligent. Or at any rate. less literate. In the old days, boxing and cricket and golf journalists were a joy to read even if you weren’t a fan of the sport. Lyrical. sometimes poetic. Yes, we… Read more »

RecycledOldSock

Although Naomi Osaka was raised in the United States, her parents decided that their daughters would represent Japan. They said, “We made the decision that Naomi would represent Japan at an early age. She was born in Osaka and was brought up in a household of Japanese and Haitian culture. Quite simply, Naomi and her sister Mari have always felt Japanese so that was our only rationale.

englandsbest

‘and that went for the media commentators, as well’

Bob N16

Classic Tom, an 18 year old qualifier wins a GS for the first time and you can’t help yourself and highlight that she had a relatively ‘easy’ draw.

Do you have the same high standards in your life? You must be a hell of a high achiever.

@Bob

Well said, your, I agree wholeheartedly

AFC Forever

Upstate Gooner “Arteta had a couple of weeks of training/preparation with the squad including the new additions”. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Two weeks. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. My god, there are no words. An entire new back 5, one of whom arrived last week, a new central midfield partnership and a bunch of debutants all playing in a competitive match for the first time and you want a Man City performance. I honestly can’t believe these naive comments today, this is illogical. I understand the desperation to piss on the win in order to discredit the… Read more »

Ernest Reed

Incorrect Pedro…She was born in Toronto. Check it yourself, its online.

Born
13 November 2002 (age 18)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

RecycledOldSock

Raducanu holds both British and Canadian citizenship. She speaks Mandarin, watches Taiwanese television shows and enjoys Romanian cuisine, courtesy of her Bucharest-based grandmother.