353 Comments

To dare is to do

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I really love how potent we we have become on set pieces. It's definitely an advantage to us but surely we can't depend on it alone. It should consistently be just one string in our bow

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Tapas Pulis FC.

If it leads to a trophy, I'm here for it, but why are we playing like it's some cagey cup tie against a prime Manc side? They are fucking awful, and too much respect was shown.

That said, Timber will go down as the club's best signing of the generational era.

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Big shout out to Guehi for his message on Jesus

Im not religious but fair play to him for standing up to the indoctrination

The premier league have just showed themselves up for the spineless hypocrites they are

Your league is shit compared with previous generations

Your pandering and money chasing has ruined the game

No armband or silly rainbow laces will change that

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The FA bungled the entire thing.

Why turn a simple thing like a captain's armband into a hot potato issue?

The band should have never been rainbow to begin with.

They dare not punish him. He's played high level chess and created a grenade issue for them.

If everyone has to tolerate the band then surely we oughtn't get upset about a simple inscription of Jesus ❤❤❤ you.

It's about tolerance, init.

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Fucking boom diss

They do it to themselves time and again

Im not bible basher but you can’t break your own rule and then when someone writes a message of love on his arm, whip up a frenzy

What a massive self own

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Yep.Religious freedom.You can’t pick & choose.

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Yeah. If the PL want football to be apolitical, might be better not to have armbands that many associate with tacit support for encouraging impressionable kids with gender dysphoria to proceed down the path towards irreversible physical damage like puberty blockers and surgeries.

And before anyone says I’m reading too much into it, find me any rainbow flag event where such things aren’t supported.

The PL is supposedly anti all discrimination to ALL which is great, so I think simply saying ‘no to discrimination’ should cut it rather than turning it into rainbow flag event and stepping into a specific topic where there’s actually a lot of grey area and waving blanket support

I for one am all for respecting people with gender dysphoria. Their plight must be exceptionally hard to live with. I also am 100% against surgeries and hormones which sterilize in most cases impressionable kids who haven’t yet grown up and realized what they really want in life. No way I would want to wave the rainbow flag for the connotations with the latter, despite being fine with homosexuality and people not feeling happy with their gender etc

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Great comment china

Totally agree

Just proves that it was never about inclusivity and always about “the message” being shoved down people’s throats. Be gay. Be happy about it. Dress like a lady. Follow whatever religion you like. Who gives a shit. But Thats your thing. Enjoy it. Dont push it on everyone. If you do, expect the same from everyone and don’t complain if they are afforded the same benefit to project their preferences and beliefs.

Dont be a fucking hypocrite basically

It’s actually really funny to see them shout about inclusivity then scream like banshees and fail to be inclusive themselves

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Bigotry behind religion...well I for one am shocked.

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How about the premier league abide by their own rules on political messaging

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I bet you love those groomer flags flying after a goal is scored.

Weirdo.

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Groomer flags? The catholic church has a flag?

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Also I might start saying this everyday till it catches on but Jurrien Timber is playing like the best fullback in the league. He's absolutely red hot

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The bloke at Edu's bbq agrees with you about Timber.

"Look, I won’t mince words. If it wasn’t clear already, I think we’ve got an understated superstar on our hands. His 1v1 defending makes him matchup-proof, and his game intelligence is at the highest level — evident in his subtle adaptations, communications, and observations.

Health permitting, I see no reason he can’t enter the conversation as the second-best right-back in the world, behind Trent Alexander-Arnold, who I consider to be a one-of-a-kind historical anomaly."

https://billycarpenter.substack.com/p/so-back?utm_source=post-banner&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=posts-open-in-app&triedRedirect=true

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It’s still too soon to talk of Timber as one of the best in the world. Not because I’m saying he isn’t or won’t be but because our sample of games to judge is very small

What is very fair to say that is since returning from injury he’s looked quality and like a player who I’m looking forward to seeing every week

I appreciate that he’s good defensively but also a menace offensively because of his constant overlaps and quality dribbling. He’s going to get assists, win some penalties and will score a few as well this season if he stays fit and starts most games

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I dunno if I'd agree with him on Trent Alexander. With all due respect he's suspect defensively.

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Agreed.Trent “ Hollywood” Arnold is somewhat overrated.imo.

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That's the same thing we said about Ben White though

The competition will be fierce when BW returns

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Yeah but we were saying that when Ben White had to contend with a crocked Tomiyasu. It's different with Timber. He's clearly better

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Conceding more goals through that side with out Ben white who was ace going forward too

Ben white the more rounded player but timber more pointed going forward

Both will her ample game time

Ben white was fucking imperious vs Liverpool at can this season

I’d say our standout cb performance of the season so far

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Yea but even thinking that makes me feel like I'm disrespecting BW who was very good until he started playing with injuries.

A fantastic problem to have though

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I don't recall anyone moaning when Jover was doing the same set piece magic for Man city.

There's definitely the Arsenal factor driving the whining about set pieces.

Our fanbase are the kings of social media banter so I guess more banter gets directed our way in return.

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I'll be honest sure when we're playing bad I'll be one of the first to complain and call Arteta Spanish Pulis but I'll never complain about how we are at set pieces and some of these cunts in the media calling us stoke and making snarky comments about Jover can eat a bag of dicks. Fuckers had absolutely no problem with the years of weakness we had at set pieces under Wenger.

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That’s the issue Marko.Karmas a bitch for them.Their mantra is if it hurts Arsenal fine.If it hurts us.Bitch about it.

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Martinelli has really been poor. It is time to drop him to the bench permanently. I am not much of a fan of Trossard starting but this is ridiculous now. He is offering nothing going forward. He had a chance to run at their defense a couple of times and he chose weak shots. He is playing scared.

His ability to run and work for his team isn't enough now. He used to be a threat. He used to beat players regularly and now they are leaving him one on one and it looks very bad. I think Sterling should be given a chance too.

If he doesn't improve till summer, I might look at selling it is almost a year now he hs been this poor.

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Exactly

Called this years ago with him and Hes got progressively worse

Just not enough ability in tight spaces

Hes a droid

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We pay him close to £200k weekly now, that will definitely make moving him out more difficult

I wanted to use this season to determine whether his 2022-2023 form was his baseline or just a purple patch. Now it's looking more likely that we were deceived by that purple patch.

The club doesn't disagree with us because they tried to sign the player Murdyk was supposed to be in 2023 and wanted to spend big on Niko Williams last summer.

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Told ya 😉

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I am really disappointed in him. He is my biggest disappointment lately. I really think he is playing with fear. It wasn't a purple patch because I saw it since he came in at 18. He used to go for it and wasn't predictable. He wasn't always in control but the agression in attack was there. Now he does that drag the ball thing he does annoys me so much. But I can't keep defending it even if the player is in there. We are at a point where we need to be ruthless. Get better or get moved on.

If we want to move on a player, we can too. And we might take a bit of financial hit. But we thought the same with Eddie and Ramsdale.

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I think Arteta killed his game

Over coached

Players like him can’t play in a strangled system like ours

He needs to be free

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I feel that way too. I think he was a klopp player than an Arteta or Pep player. I think he might kill it in a team that will allow him all the freedom.

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But why persist when it was so obvious? Why get rid of players like esr who excel in tight spaces and one twos for someone who isn’t suited to what we do? He kills so many attacking players

That stubbornness is his biggest failing as a coach

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Just occurred to me that Jover just got a pay raise, when Mikel got his pay raise.

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I think they're still negotiating Diss, I thought it was already done as well. From that Jover article:

"Arsenal are in the final stages of extending the contracts of Mikel Arteta’s backroom staff. Jover and his colleagues are expected to join the manager in receiving extensions until 2027, along with a significant pay rise."

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Thanks for the update

Mikel shouldn't have signed his own deal until his assistants deals were agreed.

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I misread article, I thought all our staff contracts were still being negotiated including Arteta's, but I understand now and I agree, why weren't all these contracts done at once?

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Imagine-- extending a manager's staff-- and he decides not to stay on.

From The Athletic piece jwl referred to--

"Jover knows however that he is valued at Arsenal — by Arteta especially. After the manager signed his deal in September, the club set about negotiating renewals with his support staff. The resignation of sporting director Edu has not derailed those talks — the baton was picked up by managing director Richard Garlick, and the club are now confident of finalising agreements with the likes of Jover, Carlos Cuesta, Miguel Molina and Albert Stuivenberg."

Here's a link to the piece: https://archive.is/dcpJU

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What are you on about?

I'm saying the manager should have used his own deal to leverage his staff getting the same wage increases that was offered to him.

I think you're misdirecting the .. "Imagine extending a manager's staff-- and he decides not to stay on" to me. I never implied Jover wasn't treasured.

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The order of things. Arteta's deal was always being signed first.

Implied or implicit-- how would you know minimum terms weren't guaranteed by Garlick and KSE?

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What I do know is that the manager's deal was done with fanfare before the deals of his assistants were agreed upon, which is not a great thing for leadership.

Now you're BSing about "minimum terms" when we know for certain that no deals are agreed yet.

Had Mikel said, now that we've agreed my deal I won't formally sign it until you extend the same terms of increment to my staff, they wouldn't still be wrangling about the coaching staff deals.

As you can see, the manager is only as good as his assistants.

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I’m going to make lots of money by bottling the tears of Yawnited fans who are calling into shitesports talking about “…by the way, Arsenal-stoke are a disgrace-they are a set piece team”

Yawnited tear-juice, rich in vitamins and whiny minerals

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That narrative has really kicked up a gear today. I'm loving it.

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I found myself respecting Arteta more last season when it was astutely observed that every time we have a set-piece, Arteta leaves the technical area for Jover.

It’s not because Jober does any real time coaching in these situations, most of the set-piece work is done on the training pitches - setpieces are pretty much routine based honed from repetitive drills.

Arteta does everything to not stand in the way of the accolades that the Jover deserves.

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Yes I noticed the same. Arteta standing down and letting him go up seems primarily for the visuals and I really genuinely respect that. Which manager elevates one of their back room staff to openly be top dog several times a match? Absolutely no one. But Jover deserves it and I think Arteta doesn’t only want to give him the credit he deserves but also let him enjoy that feeling as a way to keep him loyal. It’s win win

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I saw this as well with another team I can't remember. The set piece coach was screaming down the field from the technical area and the manager allowed him to. It's encouraging to see Arteta do that as well...

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Jeorge Bird -

"Junichi Inamoto has announced his retirement aged 45. He was the last remaining player who represented Arsenal at Highbury who was still playing."

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Wooow can’t believe he’s still playing!! He joined us in what 99???

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The Athletic -

"How much is set-piece coach Nico Jover worth to Arsenal?

Arsenal’s two goals on Wednesday mean they have now scored 22 times from corners since the start of last season — more than any other Premier League team across that period. Ten of those goals have opened the scoring. So often, set pieces are what allow Arsenal to break the game open.

How do you begin to quantify Jover’s contribution? If a player had contributed directly to that many crucial goals, what would their market value be? Even with a healthy pay bump, Jover could be considered cheap at the price."

https://archive.ph/dcpJU

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https://x.com/aliladiere/status/1864589327189098958

Just wanted to share this here 😂😂😂

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That has to be one of the worst man U performances I have ever witnessed live. No ambition no drive, just wait for a chance. We hardly have them any timber was great, Kiwior did really well with some lovely passes and that midfield of ours is not getting out muscled. Martinelli continues to be an enigma my son said to me last night. That's his ceiling he is never going to get better than that is he?

Nope is the answer. He needs to be replaced IMO and we need another striker for sure and considering we collect left backs and defenders in general the bench looked threadbare of them.

Anyway 7 points now I have a feeling Everton will roll them at the weekend and we get revenge on Fulham. COYG

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I thought they looked quite good

You can see what Hes trying to do there already

I think they are going to be a huge threat soon

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He’s going to be a clever manager I feel. 38 without a loss until he rolled into us.

He does need a sharp forward though doesn’t he. Unless Rashford somehow pulls form out of his backside. Hojlund feels like a John Hartson type level ( I loved John but if you get my drift ) Zirkzee just looks too lightweight. Long may their overspends continue

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John Harrison was fantastic at West Ham

Put on too much weight at Wimbledon

Then was fantastic again for Celtic

Great touch for a big man

Could have been a Orem legend

Kind of is still for the boot he put on berkovic

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Hartson

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Thought they played well in the first half. But it wasn't going to last.

Amorim was quoted in the run up to the match, decrying United's lack of fitness, to play his preferred high-pressing style-- for as long as he'd like.

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Not if you listen to their deluded,entitled,hate filled fans( talkshite)we battered them 2nd half.They had one effort on target.First half one effort,wide.( & that was due to a kiwior error,though he had a very solid match)An XG of nearly 3 & there’s an XG of less than 0.30 tells you all you need to know.

It’s such a pleasure to listen to their pain.Especially when they lose to us.It kills em.😂

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Would be gross negligence to not upgrade our LW and ST positions next summer

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