I have two choices – support Mikel’s every decision and dedicate my life in proving whatever he does is brilliant, or criticize him for the things which I feel could have been better. Second option comes with a caveat that I may be proven wrong in due course, but that would only mean Mikel achieving things and winning trophies at Arsenal. It would still make me happy, because I love the club.
First thing first, Mikel needs to stop gambling with our playing XI. Trossard in place of Martinelli can make sense, because there isn’t a drop in performance and it’s a like for like replacement but Thomas Partey at RB doesn’t make sense at all. Gabriel on bench, when he started 37 of our games last season is bonkers. What it will do is, when you realise your experiment is not working anymore, you integrate Gabriel back in the playing XI but he would be lacking the match fitness and the confidence. What it also does is, devoid us of the protection Partey offers in midfield, and his exceptional reading of the game.
With enough words, anyone can prove anything right like the Twitter space is doing. Give me all your explanations about why it’s a good move, and why 3 at the back while Partey moves to midfield is a masterstroke, but I am not buying because the 2 games we have played, haven’t looked like a game from a title challenger. Convincing wins boosts confidence.
Right, that’s me done. Back to the game.
Fulham at home, should be 3-points for us. They were sensational by their standards last season, and are looking to improve on that.
In team news, Tomiyasu is going to miss today’s game because of the red card he received for wasting 8 seconds and NOT pulling the shirt of a player. It wasn’t deemed a clear and obvious error and it couldn’t be over-turned because it wasn’t a straight red. I think it’s high time someone ‘clearly and obviously’ confirms what this means.
Zinchenko is back in the fold and might get his first start of the season. I don’t see any other changes, unless Mikel notices that we played our best football with a RB in White, Gabriel and Saliba partnering at CB and Thomas Partey in the midfield. He would have to upset his new buys because you can’t fit em all in your XI.
Gabriel Jesus is back too, but I don’t think we are going to rush him back in playing XI. We did that mistake last season, let’s not repeat it.
Paul Tierney is officiating today, and that’s a big concern. I saw Arsenal.com highlighting our track record of not winning a single game since 2021 (6-in total, losing 5 and drawing 1) when he has officiated for us. That’s quite a record when you consider that we won a lot of games last season. Let’s hope they don’t find a way to screw us up today. And someone at the club probably has directed the managers of the website to highlight these points. They did for Tomiyasu’s red card in the post match coverage and they are doing it for Paul. Good passive aggressive stance, but how much it will affect the guys who gave David Luiz a red card because a player sprinting with the ball touched Luiz knee by himself and trips over.
Right, my laptop has died and I’m writing this on my phone so please excuse me for any errors. I’m expecting a 3-0 win today with Martinelli scoring because it’s been long, and I always love a clean sheet.
Hope you are having a good weekend. See you during the games.
KP
I agree that’s a great idea for Ambarish to do an interview with Robbie, perhaps to begin with via zoom. I also understand how Arteta sucks the life out of any small pleasures we Gooners can savor.
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He so fucked he’s willing to listen to offers for ESR. How sucky is that?
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What you TRVL and I wrap up in mountains of syntaxes, Marc sums up in 7 precise words. “Now, I just think he’s a cunt”. Just brilliant.
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Marc
The reason that made me laugh as much, is from a WW1 book written by Ben Elton. Some way in the book a corporal in the trenches is asked what he thinks of his CO, the corporal stammers and the General says one word will do, good god man, and the corporal replies “Cunt” sir. In the context of the book it’s really laugh out loud funny.
Hi Vieira
I must’ve been subliminally influenced by you, or maybe a case of cynical old bastards just thinking alike.😊
Now we’re hearing ESR might be off… To… Wait for it… CHELSEA! It really feels as if the wheels are coming off.
””Now I just think he’s a cunt.””’
That makes two of us.
And I am sure there are many Gooners who feel the same.
I genuinely think Arteta wants to out any player that he wasn’t involved in buying. He can’t out Saka, Martinelli or Saliba yet but he’s slowly outing anyone who was at the club before he arrived.
Its like some football version of Year Zero.
In a way I wish MA would once again renege on his earlier promises and send ESR elsewhere, as that would finally enable him to actually get on the fucking pitch and likewise expose our manager for the conniving twat he truly is…the manner in which he’s dealt with ESR has been so egregious that it makes me wonder if he’s purposely trying to sabotage the kid’s career…normally I wouldn’t lean into such a conspiratorial narrative, but we’ve seen just how vindictive MA can be when a player doesn’t toe the line or exposes him to criticism, whether it’s justified or not…let’s face it, ESR has been a bit part player, at best, ever since MA was forced into playing him…the fact that ESR saved his proverbial ass means jackshit to this littlest of men, as he undoubtedly still resents the backlash he faced from those who had called for him to get significantly more minutes long before his forced inclusion
I would suspect if swap deals were far more prevalent in the footballing realm ESR would already have a medical scheduled…of course, I would much rather he went outside the PL, but I doubt he would garner as much interest, from a transfer fee perspective, from those outside England
there’s been a couple of reports circulating regarding our potential interest in Osimhen…I’m not exactly sure how to properly evaluate these particular rumours, except to say that this could be either another classic “we tried our best but couldn’t get it done” ploy, simply for appeasement purposes, or a bona fide attempt to properly redress our positional concerns up top…in regards to the latter, it’s important to keep in mind that any such move would require the selling off of several pieces, above and beyond Balo, Holding and Nunes…in fact this could involve both ESR and Gabs…that said, can you even imagine our sloth-like suits actually getting all of that shit done in the time remaining, especially considering how difficult it can be to deal with Napoli at the best of fucking times…as such, my spidey senses say this is a full-bore wag the dogish ruse
here we go, instead of focusing on what matters, Arteta’s PR minions are attempting to hijack the narrative by emphasizing the rather pathetic fact that the Balo sale will be a club record…how is it that we continue to pay above the number for everyone and their Chelsea-based brother, yet somehow our not so dynamic duo are looking for praise to be heaped upon them for getting far less than the expected fee…I guarantee you that Balo is fucking ecstatic to be escaping MA’s vindictive clutches
Morning all
TRVL
I think the A&E plan is unravelling as you articulated. It was clear that MA wanted money, and a lot of it for another ‘Rice’ galactico to round off the TW and deflect the current pressure and narrative aimed at his sorry ass. It doesn’t matter who gets burned in the process; their careers are of no mind for Arteta.
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What Arteta is afraid of is that his Adulator meter is in minus – bar his fan boys who, by the way, are conspicuous in their absence. Has the penny/rupee finally dropped? Are they all starting to have epiphanies that Arteta is nothing more than a Galaxy brain after all? Not a footballing managerial god after all. Colour me shocked!
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Plenty of room here on the dark side for the misinformed where you can leave Arteta’s misdirection and misleading that he is indeed a football manager behind, in the world of make belief.
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That has never been proven – not in just over 4 years in fact. The reality is Mikel is lagging behind Moyesyball as a manager because bless him, David won a Euro trophy last season, and his ex captain lost the Title to City. Also, Moyes Euro cup trumps Wenger – Pierre will be devastated.
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So, back to my point. Arteta now needs to make a big statement and Stan has said “ok sell first”. Osimhen or similar in the 11th hour would be so Wengeresque, it’s not worth contemplating, but it would give Arteta more time to get our challenge back on track, because there are some serious negative rumblings among the Gooner Faithful world wide, and rightly so after our dismal displays in the first 3 games.
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September 1, at 23:00 BST the TW closes. I believe what transpires by that date or more importantly what doesn’t transpire is going to save or kill Arteta’s season and managerial tenure with The Arsenal.
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Arteta is going to start to lose players loyalty and belief in him that he is good for their careers. KT, Balogun, ESR, LCB Gabs, and Hale Enders behind them are looking to their agents to look elsewhere. Mikel doesn’t care one iota about those players who have broken his imaginary trust while Mikel routinely crushes the trust of his peripheral and academy players with broken promises of game time – ask ESR.
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We’ll soon be able to add Havertz, Zinchenko and Eddie o the above list when they can’t manage the footballing miracles Arteta expects from them. Hardly their fault, is it?
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I have no agenda against A&E or our suits; I just want elite business conducted by a £5billion+ football club with immense history and pride of old, which we need back. That and elite City or better football for a £billion squad, which requires an experienced manager who is a serial winner and challenger.
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Too much to ask?
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With Arteta certainly and probably Edu as well. Both are far too comfy with little or no accountability on them. Jobs for life type of thing, as well in with the gullible owners drunk on Arteta’s enthusiasm and seemingly fantastical promises that turn out to be whimsical at best. Statues are already being cast for the Franco like belligerent one.
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I’m with TRVL our transfer gang won’t be able to sort out so many player movements in such a short time. Again, a loan may be grasped in the closing minutes, but it will come at a cost. It’s always possible Stan will tell the board to drag their feet and let Arteta run with what he’s got!
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Arteta’s lost there plot if he only wants £14m for Partey. They wanted no less than £50m in their posturing for Balogun’s sale. Then they celebrate as Vera Lynn said, but don’t realise they could be losing an elite player or one with decent ceiling that had Arteta said, “Ok I’ll give you 4 games to prove yourself or you go back on loan”. That would have been fair in my mind particularly the lack of quality Balogun would be playing against.
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Sadly, Arteta isn’t that smart or understanding of how to build a player’s career for the benefit of the club and player. Asking for game time is no no for Arteta. It offends him.
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I’m looking forward to Saturday morning and knowing who is left or added to the squad and how we are going to line up against Manure Sunday afternoon and I’ll add my thoughts for the season then.
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Right now, things are looking grim for Arteta, which includes us if A& E don’t sort out this TW.
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Have a good one LIR
TRVL
I’m frustrated with Tierney’s loan, hence a new post.
KP
AFTV, and others have a team, they make money and they do things inline with that. I doubt they will entertain a fan’s opinion if money is not involved. I have reached out to them anyways, let’s see.
The bad thing about anything-sports is that it generates almost no money at all unless you get big, scaling gets difficult after a point. The good part is that, money kills the soul. We are here for the fun, support, criticism; no arse licking, no fooling of ourselves, no cult following like you know who.
New post.
Art Fraud,
Welcome!