I’m really struggling with Lionel Messi winning ANOTHER Balon d’Or.
Love the man. He won things. Is the greatest of all time.
But the best player in the world because he won a World Cup? Please. We have to be closing the chapter on him and Cristiano.
Haaland won the treble. As did a whole group of City players who are stars but don’t get the star treatment. All of those players outshone Messi this season. Rafa Honigstein suggested Jude Bellingham. He earned a move to Madrid, he’s been incredible all season, he nearly won a Bundesliga for Dortmund. He has been categorically better than Lionel Messi.
I think my bigger issue here is the total domination of Cristiano and Messi on the award. Or, more to the point, that the hardware always goes to Spanish teams.
When was the last time a Premier League player won the award?
Michael Owen. 2001.
Since 2008, the trophy has only fallen out of the hands of Lio or CR7 twice. The award needs to get better. The Premier League is the most dominant league in the world, but apparently, it can’t muster votes for the best player in the world. Thierry Henry NEVER winning it will go down in history as a crime against the beautiful game.
Votes going to a country that doesn’t have a competitive league absolutely kills me. I can’t have it that Pedri, Gavi, and Camavinga takeover next year. England needs to be the destination going forward.
Next year, some thoughts.
- Bukayo Saka
- Martin Odegaard
- Gabriel Martinelli
- Declan Rice
- Benny Blanco
Don’t deviate, voters. Don’t you dare!
Bukayo Saka has SLAMMED fans concerned about his burnout.
“My focus is not really there [on talk of burning out]. I always want to be on the pitch, to give my best, and if I’m injured and I have to be forced to be out, then of course I will sit out.
“But as long I’m there and I’m ready to play, I am always going to give my best and tell them that I want to play.”
Now, this is exactly what you’d expect a young player to say. The job of the manager is to play it safe with a body still developing. Maybe, just maybe, Mikel will change his tune after quickly breaking Gabriel Jesus after his return from minor surgery. Availability is a key attribute of top players, but there is a science that goes into that. I was talking to a world-class sports surgeon this weekend and he said ‘there are only so many miles on the clock, and if you burn them too early, you pay a price.’ Arsenal burned Jack Wilshere early and he never recovered. Bukayo has been treated far better and certainly had a better fitness build growing through our ranks. We just have to hope Mikel listens to his specialists – because it doesn’t seem that way this season.
Aaron Ramsdale has been linked with Chelsea this January and all I can say is: Accept he’ll leave. Accept he might go somewhere you DO NOT like. Chelsea currently rolls deep with Robert Sanchez and I’m not sure that’s a future they want. Aaron is young, he’s great with the ball at his feet, and he might suit a club battling back to the top with a young crew. I don’t want to see him leave, I’m a big fan, but Chelsea will give us £50m because they overpay for everyone.
Anyway, just putting that on your radar. The club needs to raise funds for another striker. So keep your eye on Aaron.
Ok, how about this… we had David Seaman on The AOP podcast and he was brilliant. Matt Kandela took the interview and it was a fascinating listen. He talks about some items I didn’t know about, like a major club that tried to sign him before Arsenal. He voiced his thoughts on the work that Arsenal coaching staff are putting in. He also spoke about the ever-changing game. What a TOP guy. So happy he decided to chat with us.
You can listen to the hour special here. Get on it. You’ll love it!
Klopp has hoovered up all the MF talent.
Paulie
It wasn’t just us that Chelsea robbed with Havertz, they also robbed utd with Mount
To the tune of £135 million.
Wankers who post drivel regularly and say the same thing over and over again with sentiments of appeasement, acceptance, apathy are insufferable arseholes.
At least the treble is still on for us
“18 games in a row without an away goal for Eddie Nketiah at Arsenal.”
Good finisher though.
Out of these useless cups. Good.
Coneteta
Pool got a really quality one in Gravenberch who some of us were calling for a couple of seasons back before his Bayern move.
ETH is outdoing Ole at his worst at this stage.
6 wins and 8 defeats this season.
GD of -9 across those games.
WengerEagle
I maintain MacAllister was a real obvious Arsenal player we missed out on.
Would’ve been Swiss army in nature too because he can go #6 or #8. Baffled we never went near him.
That was a very bad loss
The team we fielded was good enough to get the job done.
I fear for Saturday at St James Park
Does Havertz still have any advocates left here?
They need to get closure on him next summer, sell him for half of what we paid and cut our losses
He needs Bundesliga football to get his career back on track. .
Didn’t CC also talk up Havertz as a Swiss Army knife player when Arteta dropped £65m recruiting him? 😂
As good as Arteta has been for AFC, he’s made a lot of mistakes, but the biggest by a long shot was the signing of Havertz
1 Silverware gone 3 more to loose. Our poor imitation of a manager can’t set up a game plan and a team to win against WHam who sold their best player to us. But we got useless Eddie and the ball and chain that Arteta bought for £65mill.
The excusenics will say glad to be out of this cup, but it shows just how poor we can be plus will the fringe players now get playing time? Ramsdale surely will go if he will not get anymore playing time, a problem solely made by our manager in training.
He’s not exactly a cup manager is he this one we’ve got?
Nketiah back to default and big lol at all the hope that Kai Havertz wasn’t going to be a total sportwashing of a signing…or that Viera isn’t too small and will not be good enough for Arsenal or that Nelson cant waive a magic wand and play well every 3 weeks when the manager remembers he should get some minutes
None of this is negative comments by the way, just general observations
Nketiah bless him for all his efforts will never be good enough for us, we’re such a sentimental club it’s insane. We need another striker soon as Jesus is probably never going to rack up 10 consecutive games for us anytime soon
If there’s a trophy to miss out on, it’s Carabao Cup. Maybe that’s why it was half-measures tonight. The one thing good was Odegaard seems to have regained form.
WE
“Eddie has bought some rope with his weekend hat-rick”
I presume you mean rope to hang himself out to dry.
We’ve seen enough of Havertz now to know he is a complete dud. I wouldn’t mind, all teams make signings that don’t work out, but you have to ask why we paid the absurd asking price of £65m when nobody else was in the game for him, and Chelsea would surely have taken a lot less. And what beggars belief is that he was then put on a huge wage as if he was automatically a long term gold carat player. This is Oil on steroids – at least Ozil was a top player for a couple of years before his decline. Havertz is a massive financial millstone around the club’s neck now – who on earth would want him or his wages? And then think of the midfielders who were available in the summer. Madness. I remember in the early Wenger era when our second string side in the League Cup was exciting to watch and full of burgeoning talent knocking on the door. I
daresay Arteta doesn’t give a monkey’s about this cup, and is glad to be out of it, and he may feel the same about the FA cup, but it is a poor attitude to have such a feeble display from fringe players.
Into the red
“We’ve seen enough of Havertz now to know he is a complete dud. I wouldn’t mind, all teams make signings that don’t work out, but you have to ask why we paid the absurd asking price of £65m when nobody else was in the game for him, and Chelsea would surely have taken a lot less.”
Nah
Chelsea hassled us with media leaks that Madrid and Bayern were interested to make us close the deal supper fast
That was always ludicrous but that’s what was sued to justify the signing; Arteta wants him and bigger clubs were also in pursuit.
The Chelsea game was not a one off
We have had three games like that in all 3 competitions we’ve taken part in; against Lens in the CL, at SB in the leaguer and today’s game.
Newcastle know how to pile on the pressure, they are the last team to play when you’re out of form.
I’ve got concerns about Saturday but it’s good to be playing so soon afterwards to exorcise this bad loss.
I was at the game tonight and it felt like we were playing in self preservation mode from start to finish..
We were the better side in the first half ، conceded another near post corner goal similar to sevilla a week ago، unfortunately when attacking the ball fell to Havertz in the area in that first.half and he proceeded to cock it up every time.
Was a risk to play Eddie as he is our only striker، and he was definitely in self preservation mode، he kept away from any physicality ، I wouldn’t be too concerned about his performance tonight، was a game to forget and no one covered themselves in glory in the Arsenal team.
۹
Lots of panic here. Is the team better off and on the right trajectory compared to 2 or 3 years ago? I think so. Poor performance today but it’s our first loss of the season. The team isn’t even jelling yet and they’re still in contention for top of the table. Come on boys. The ship isn’t sinking so don’t jump over the railing.
*2nd loss of the season but I agree with the rest of your post.
Beautifully taken goal from joe Willock tonight in his first start of the season، would have been a perfect xhaka replacement….
Right Leftside. My mistake. Our core starting unit is strong but our backups are still too weak for us to be considered real contenders. No need to name them, it’s pretty obvious who they are. Please, please no more Chelsea players. We and United really bailed those scumbags out
Hopefully some of our Hale Enders (ie Patino) will be ready to step in to a backup MF position next season
Though it looked like Ramsdale was flapping about a bit for the first and third goals، I personally wouldn’t blame him for either goal ، though I’m sure if Raya had a similar performance as Ramsdale’s he would have been slaughtered by the same posters who are foolishly taking digs at Eddie.
Disappointing result
At least it’s in the league cup rather than league tho. Need a quick return to winning ways in the big game this weekend
Im not bothered by going out of this competition, we’ve bigger fish to fry. Big takeaway and second string needs to up the level, notably in the mid.
How is that ground Pierre, never been. Has a hollow vibe on TV.
West Ham fielded more or less their strongest team tonight who have played together all season ، Arsenal fielded an X1 who looked like it was a pre season friendly with the players having little on field chemistry due to a lack of game time together.
Am I surprised we struggled ، of course not ، I would have been more surprised if we had come away with a victory ..
.
It’s a world of difference having a couple of players coming into a settled side and do well than for 11 players who have hardly played together to go to West ham and get a result.
Sal
“How is that ground Pierre, never been. Has a hollow vibe on TV.”
Rubbish atmosphere ، too far away from the pitch، it didn’t help as I had a ticket in the West ham end، went with a West ham season ticket holder that I thankfully managed to convince to leave 15 minutes early as Arsenal had basically accepted defeat
Havertz is the worst value signing Arsenal have ever made.
He has been defended on here for his contributions when in reality he has been a catastrophic signing because that money could have been put to a good player . He has by far the highest wage too.Questions should be asked about Edu
Havertz , Raya , Sambi Lokonga , Tavares , Mari, Willian and Cedric are all poor signings .
He is also the worst negotiator in terms of fees out in the league
I mean who gives a fuck about the league cup but in saying that it was an opportunity for some people to impress or gain some form and that completely fell by the wayside. Havertz garbage Vieira average Nketiah the usual Zinchenko blundering and Ramsdale his usual jittery self. Our backups showing why they’re backups
How can we agree that Havertz fits this team and not Willock. Absolute bollocks. It’s time to agree that it’s a huge mistake from Arteta to spend 65M for a Chelsea reject and let go off Willock. He doesn’t know how to use the academy players period. He will ruin the academy setup before he leaves the club
I said it the first time and the howlers came out in full force.
I’ll say it again, we’ve spent over 200 mill and look worse than last season. Simply unacceptable!
Mikel needs to figure this out ….
Pierre
Has the vibe, not built for Football all kinds of bland, Upton Park was proper spicy.
Madhu,
I get your frustrations about the Havertz signage, makes less sense further season progresses, Arteta has to be nearing the end of the tether but we did start a premier league game this past weekend w/ 3 academy players in the starting XI a 4th subbing in. Hardly label that ruining the academy setup, in fact not hard to argue the opposite.
Terrible performance. No squad players knocking on the door demanding selection on the basis of that performance.
No flapping from Ramsdale for the goals. Shirt pull for the first and deflection for the third.
Can’t get too worked up about the loss though. It’s only Spuds that count it as a trophy…
Kudus looked a nuisance and only cost £38m, unfortunately we’d already spent out budget elsewhere…
*our!
Sal – what had Kai done in the 10+ games into this season? How much of game time he has got vis-a-vis a Smith Rowe (ok he is injured now) or a Riess Nelson? Sorry they didn’t.cost 50+ M and are not Chelsea reject that the reason they don’t get minutes. Why hold on to them if you are not willing to completely integrate them. Same.happemed with Willock and is flourishing elsewhere. That shows the inability of Arteta to asses Hale enders. You cannot give them sparse time here and there and expect them to deliver. Kai has got enough time to show what he is and I think he has shown us what exactly he is. I stand by my point that Arteta is treating Hale enders unfairly and sorry they don’t cost us 50+ millions.
“Questions should be asked about Edu
Havertz , Raya , Sambi Lokonga , Tavares , Mari, Willian and Cedric are all poor signings .”
Arteta is the one that’s been shing for most of those signings by all reports.
Havertz, Raya, Mari (that he signed after seeing first hand how unsuited to the league he was after a 6 month loan, smh) Willian.
Sambi and Tavares were low cost punts so that’s not a big deal.
His talent id is a bit suspect at times, and we really should look outside the PL more for talents (and not just obscure players like Vieira, Sambi etc that no one else would touch). We’re not going to overtake City by buying rejects from other PL clubs.
I doubt our backup midfield (without Partey) could hack it against even a half decent championship team. That’s going to be a problem later in the season if it’s not addressed in January.
Defeats like this are part of a season and I am not reacting to this. But what I have been consistently saying is that as a Club what is our intent and strategy for Academy players. It’s one thing to say something but another seeing in action. This defeat would be a far easier to take.of we had used this competition to blood some academy players as a path to asses them against PL sides. What happened to Nuanweri was it a vanity project to give him a few mins in a PL game? How would others who are being pointed as stars to watch fared in this game. Instead we have a 65 M Kai trodding along adding nothing to our strategy or the future of this club. We cannot spend huge amounts on such players and not utilising the talent available in the academy. Sorry but I for one is not in favour of wasting our resources when we haven’t even tapped into our Academy potential.
It’s all doom… doom….
True Tuffers
Our 2nd XI, well as good as, lose badly to a fired up West Ham. No surprise. City and Spurs went out, other top sides will as well.
And as for the doom, well, wetters will wet.
Get Atreta to be CEO, he is good at building team and club identity. He is not great at team management.
Ban all dealings witch Chelsea. Havertz deal should be investigated. Was this transfer ” favor” to help Chelsea with finances? Hedgie boy from Chelsea sure have all the connections in the world.
We will be lucky to get £20M for him now.