Brighton is a tough team to play against. They play high intensity, positive game and have Europe in mind. Having played 3 less games than Tottenham, who sits at the 6th position, Brighton could overtake them with a win. They are in a happy place but they know things can turn bad towards the end of the season, and won’t really be wishing to leave it to that. They will fight, and they will make things tough for us.
Today’s game comes with a relief for Arteta, both Solly March and Webster are ruled out of game and we are back in fine form. Saliba and Zinchenko are ruled out for the season, but Kiwior didn’t disappoint and Tierney is as good a player at LB. He might come up short in his midfield abilities, but I’m of the belief that a defender’s first priority is to defend well. Anything else is extra.
Having said that, I would really like him to excel in the three games left. Rumours about him leaving (or sold) is not a good news for me, I don’t know if we need to splash another 60m for a LB when we already have a lad covering it and doing well whenever given a chance. It would be like creating a problem and then fixing it.
For the rest of this season, we don’t have anything to win or lose now. I’m a generally optimistic person but everyone and their dog knows City are not going to drop points, and are not going to give away their 1 point lead with a game in hand. We feel the Liverpool’s frustration, in a short amount of time they have overtaken the title race. No doubt we have thrown it away ourselves by sharing points against the likes of West Ham and Liverpool after going 2-0 up, and against Southampton at home, but Pep is showing to us how hard it can be for any other team. Not only does he prepares his team tactically, he engrains in them a tough, winning mentality which allows them to perform at the top when needed the most.
It was nice till it lasted. It leaves us to the last three games, and I’m looking forward to finishing our season with 3 wins, and 90 points. It will keep the confidence high, make the incomings in the summer easier and gives us the confidence to pick ourselves up and retry again next season.
—
Back to the game, I’m expecting a a back 4 of White, Kiwior, Gabriel and Tierney. Jorginho would probably keep his place after a good game against Newcastle. Xhaka starts because he always do. We would see Saka, Odegaard and Martinelli behind Jesus, but I would personally like to see Eddie given a chance today. We are at home, we are playing Brighton and Eddie can do a job.
Trossard would like a game too, but unless we play in 2 competitions, I doubt we will see much of him. Mikel has his favorites and there is nothing wrong in that if it works. The only problem is, it don’t keep people happy. We need a strong bench, but good players don’t like to settle on the bench. A conundrum Mikel has to overcome, and we still have ESR and Eddie waiting, Balogun, Lokonga and Tavares returning, Saliba and Tomiyasu injured.
I would love to see a clean sheet. It felt sh*t to David De Gea winning the golden glove. I wouldn’t have mind if it was Ederson or Allison but lol.
Right, a short one today. Lets beat them seagulls and continue the quest of being the best out there. If you are saddened with missing out the trophy after being top of the table virtually the whole season, here’s some positive – we will be playing in Champions League next season, we will be fighting again for the trophy, Spu*s might not even make to Europa and London is red through and through.
#COYG
Just got up Tony. Knew you’d come through. Will read again and respond. Football obviously disappointing. Our ability to pass through the lines was seriously lacking, we couldn’t pass through the press whereas they could. Our midfield, as for all the games where we’ ve struggled recently, was simply not good enough. White and Trossard had their worst games against their old team. Finally a moan about the ref, you could understand why this was the 17th time he’d reffed Brighton and they’d never lost- Martinelli being fouled out by the otherwise excellent Caceido and the Brighton man not even booked was arguably pivotal ( especially as Trossard was surpringly so ineffective).
Time to get the flip flops on!
Bob
As a final thought if you do go the studio hire route, they will have a good list of session guys who could play on your son’s songs. I’ve no idea what sessions go for these days but more musicians are out of work than working, so I’m sure there will be some grateful musos for the work. It would be a great education for your son as he discusses his arrangements with the experienced musicians offering their interpretations. They will also have the right range of their instruments, such as Gibson or Fenders keyboard bass or bass git? The range of keys out there these days is crazy.
Does your son want Roland drums Schiller has used successfully with Gary Wallis from Pink Floyd. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pc6C_a1uUy8
Backing singers for harmonies?
Artists like Schiller and Yello are bringing out their albums in Blu-Ray 5:1+ immersive productions.
A few £thousand and you could do your lad proud and help greatly to his future. Not just Uni transcripts, but the start of his music connections and direction. You will have contributed to that immensely.
It’s how I would help Junior if in your shoes, as we believe education is everything to build a life on, so whatever the costs, it’s worthwhile. More so for me at my age as I’ll be 70+ when I get to France.
Bob
Pleasure. It’s tough world to make it in – my path was dogged persistence that eventually paid off.
Yesterday was a sad day of our football and us fans. One can only hope for next season to be one without capitulation.
Bob
The Martinelli wipe out of Mitoma a few minutes earlier wrong prompted the Caicedo clean out on Martinelli in retaliation. Neither player was booked when both should have been.
I saw Pedro slip that ref Brighton fact in the guise of Conetta. Sow the seeds of doubt to the fan boys. 🙂 Anything to get the we love Arteta narrative going and the nasty northern refs’ conspiracies. AFC Forever MIA yesterday must spend a fortune on tin Foil.
Brighton are a seriously good side with an excellent identity that wins games and could well see them in the CL in De Zerbi’s first full season. Tony Bloom has admitted he has the holy grail of algorithms that cost him more than a £1m to put together and is what is used for his conveyor belt of South American rough diamonds. Unlike Edu and his agents.
Junior and I have watched most of Brighton’s games because of the attractive football they play with excellent players we’d love to buy. In fact Brighton has been serious shit on by PGMOL who had to publicly apologizes to BHA.
Sorry, Bob. I just can’t take LG seriously any more now Rich is the sage of the blog. Bet it’ll be all change to Pedro’s new managerial love affair or hate after Arteta. I’m expecting Rich to get a Talk Sport call up with his takes these days. Just Wow!
Pedro’s narratives are not for me nor his fan boys’.
Arteta has said we collapsed yesterday. Really? We’ve taken 9 points from the last 21 available I’d say the collapse started against Liverpool and has pretty much continued since. Chelsea are so poor I’d expect our under 12’s to beat them, Newcastle was a good result but the truth is in the cold light of day it was a fluke.
Yesterday was only the second or third time I’ve ever left before the final whistle and I don’t know how else so demonstrate my sheer disgust at the performance. Fans are already making the excuses of “we would have taken 2nd at the start of the season” but that’s bullshit – once you’re in a dominant position anything but winning it is a massive failure.
Marc
I thought of you during the game and how I wouldn’t want to be there witnessing, as you rightly say the continued collapse. Whatever Arteta did before the Liverpool game has had long ranging consequences and will continue to the end of the season. The lads have given their all only to be let down, misused and their physicality/bodies downright abused by Arteta.
The identity came and went when cuckoo brain tried to be too clever and instead of improving our play, he turned it into frenetic chaos, devoid of ideas and getting in each other’s way. Xhaka and Jorginho should never have seen daylight at the Emirates yesterday. The game was always going to be too quick for them. In fact Xhaka should have been benched before the Liverpool game. The goals and assists created a false sense of an improved player. The rest of the time he was anonymous or in the way of working partnerships in defense as well as up front.
From Liverpool onwards a 3 at the back sans Saliba and a mobile 5 midfield with 2 up top would have acquitted us far more points than the same predictability from Arteta, as has now been proven and we’ll never know if a very mobile 3-5-2 could have worked?
The burning question I’d like to ask Josh & Stan is when we all realised there was a possible Leicester revised winning season, why didn’t we heavily invest in the January window? All we got was lip service and excuses. we should have been buying before the world cup or in the summer for January.
All the triumphant fanfare heralded at the beginning of the season claiming deals of the century with Jesus and Zinchenko; bit part winners in the City machine. Less milage we were told so better conditioned athletes. More like 2 crocks and one that cries a lot probably because he can’t defend. He was brought in to play 2nd fiddle to KT and LMF. Ended up a bit of both leaving gaping holes for counters, especially with Saliba out.
For all Arteta’s supposed tactical nous when we got 2 up at Anfield we looked confused and lost our mettle with one touchline dust up. Pep only made one main change in keeping Haarland in his own half, which created their first goal the first time it was used. What did Arteta do? Nothing.
Forward 4 weeks of us being branded weak mentally and easy to take points from. Martinelli’s shoulder charge on Mitoma sure showed we had out mettle back.
To be fair I thought it was dangerous play and a possible red and only a little less physical than Caicedo who also should have seen red, but wouldn’t had, had the ref sent Martinelli off for the Mitoma’s NFL line backer like hit.
If Arteta can’t win the league from such an assailable position, then what’s the point of him having a 3rd try after bottling the last 2 seasons.
Here’s how the Transfer Groundhog Day works – we were only supposed to need a couple of players to compete a recurring statement made each summer TW by the club. Reality is we need 6 or more and have done since Arteta’s arrival, which Arteta aded more clutter.
Another £500m should do it. Forget Hale Enders that’s fairy tale football our youths enjoy at other clubs.
I’ll finish on this. If I were an elite player and A&E came talking to my agent. I’d be a hard pass. Leopards don’t change their spots and Arteta’s optics are very poor right now.
Will the RM dream slip from Arteta’s slimed grasp – oh please god I hope not. They are meant for each other.
Ambarish, would you mind emailing me Tony’s e-mail – he suggested it. Don’t want to clog the site up with non Arsenal stuff! Thanks
Hi Bob
I’ve asked Ambarish to send you my Gooner email.
We can go into more detail, which will help me offer more detail to your son’s project. Songwriting is all about telling songs and you son can tell the story of each song if he works with a cool group of musicians. Changing arrangements and keys affects the mixing integrity to where they both find their harmony or sweet spot as we like to call it.
Rather than see it as a tricky project hopefully, your son will have his first real taste of making his music into fully track layered songs.
Really, happy for the lad, Bob.
stories*
Cheers Tony
ADHD
I saw Panarama program entitled: Private ADHD clinics exposed. I haven’t seen it yet to comment fully and Panarama can be a bit tabloid like at times, but mental health is a serious subject whether you’re mildly affected as Junior is now having almost grown out of it; however, the focus symptoms are always there with the brain always looking to grab onto to something with its constant scanning or mine type of ADHD is like this.
There are excellent mental health services out there on-line you can check first to choose the Dr who fits best. We have a family mental wellness Dr we have elected to use either alone or in group(s). It works really well with our differing needs of ADHD with different attachments and depression in the mix.
We’ve had our Dr. now for 18 months and the family’s collective mental status is the best it’s been period. Everyone is functioning happily in their daily routines. If one seems to be off, we suggest they ‘have a word’ and we set up a couple of hours private or group session.
Beats laying on the couch or being in a sterile room you’ve had to travel to. We use our Dr maybe 2 or 3 times a year for a mental health MOT, which can be done anywhere in the world.
Always check your Dr’s out thoroughly is my advice.
In S E Asia hospitals post their Dr’s qualifications and where trained and educated. The patient then chooses the Dr best suited language and experience wise for their needs. It’s all transparent and breeds confidence.
I was trying to make sense of this season while listening to a 600+ track playlist that took me 6 months to put together and what I have entitled: “I remember when” . The files are approx FLAC 20% Wav/AIFF 40% and DSD/Hi Res 40%, so the sound quality and feel are other worldly. It allows for very deep thinking in my case when I’m immersed in pure sound. Normally, I’m working out production techniques and appreciating progressive chord changes.
Try as I might I cannot get a fix on Arteta’s thinking and or reasons for his bizarre decision making throughout the season. I also ask myself what does the bullish Miguel Molina do? Ok, he has a sports science degree, but so have most of the gym trainers I’ve talked to who are at graduate degree level. To be honest I’d expect PhD for an elite club with our history, not a young under grad. Ok, Molina worked for Athletico before, but it’s unclear in what capacity, as assistant covers a multitude of sins and modus operandi.
I’m not picking Molina out in isolation, but I am asking the question why Molina’s squad ran out of gas so many times during the season? He’s the sports science and conditioning guy that advises Arteta and Gary O’Driscoll our Dr., so what went wrong?
Did Molina advise Edu and Arteta as to squad’s fitness & health needs and more importantly, the squad size required for an assault on top 4 last season and winning the title this season? If so, Molina was clearly not listened to.
We have tried to run a 4 x 400 relay with 3 runners for last and this season. It’s obvious the squad numbers didn’t stack up to take into consideration injuries, loss of form and illnesses to us fans, where we have been vindicated in our negative projections that have all but come true much to our chagrin.
When this happens, we as fans we rightly want answers whether if such actions this season and last are going to be our nemesis for the coming season and repeated for a third season.
What then do Steve Round and Albert Stuivenberg do other than to talk furtively to Arteta on the touchline? We see deep discussions in the dug outs that should have taken place during the week well before kick-off. What it suggests is that the 3 of them are looking for answers that should have been part of a Plan B if ‘A’ is failing that our lads can seamlessly slip into, as Pep’s & Klopp’s teams do.
I believe for Arteta, his goal is to win and win beautifully with sublime football played by elite Worldy players. That’s his dream I truly believe Arteta wants to succeed at. All Fairy tale an unicorns.
This season we overachieved when the top 6 were having an off season. Either that or we completely bottled the title as we did top 4 last season.
LG will claim the first, as we at LIR proclaim the latter.
So, what of next season?
Will it be wash rinse repeat or will Arteta have finally learnt by his rookie mistake ridden 3.5 years? Wenger never listened, and I fear Arteta is cut from the same narcissistic cloth of being stubbornly wrong too many times of “I’m right and you’re all wrong”.
Can Arteta change? That is the $64k question?
Without going into a drawn-out iteration of who we need to buy player by player, it’s safe to say we need 6 players if we are going to make a dent in next season’s title challenge. No more players for 2025 or bit part crocks from City or any club.
We need either elite or almost elite in 6,8, 9 & 10. We need experienced quality for RB & LB. That’s before we look for RW back up. Buy right in these positions and Arteta might just make it 3rd time lucky or three strikes and you’re out.
We need to buy Emi back!
At times during the season we played some fabulous breath-taking football, especially at home when our confidence was riding high, driving us fans into delirium. However, this was only intermittent, where it was usually followed by drab, fragile football that was almost the opposite of our high tempo identity winning gamesmanship. Our play was too Jekyll & Hyde frenetic and messy.
Apart from the requisite aforementioned player needs, at least a 20-man squad will be nneded, all with a fighting mentality to have their names on the team sheet. We need to add that to our rotations and fitness conditioning, so that we have enough gas for 90+ minutes in each game, which will mean more timely, intelligent pressing patterns off the ball.
Finally, Arteta must change from keeping pets happy. If you’re going to use non-negotiables it applies to every player at the club. Arteta needs to ensure everyone is motivated to knowing they have a chance at succeeding at The Arsenal: from the Hale End to the squad.
You play if you’re good enough and can fit seamlessly into Plans A, B & C if necessary.
Essentially, for us to win the title next season and do well in the CL, then Arteta needs to change and rid himself of past mistakes and not make new ones because Arteta is no longer a rookie.
Personally, I’d go all out for De Zerbi and let Arteta move on to RM.
sent you email Ambarish. 🙂
Brighton is so good in unearthing talent that some say why don’t we get their scouting department or imitate their scouting model. However, that is impossible and here is why according to an article from the Athletic.
“Brighton’s recruiting and transfer is the envy of every EPL club. Their ability to unearth gems like Ferguson, Caicedo, Mac Allister and Mitoma because they source worldwide data on players used by owner Tony Bloom, which nobody else can replicate.
He uses his own software that filters the whole market. The algorithm is a secret, kept even from those inside the club. Scouts are sent a list of names to watch and compile reports on players who have passed the data tick list, based on factors such as age and match minutes.
A traffic light system is used for reports. Green means a great fit, amber is for players close to fitting the criteria, and red is for monitoring.
Brighton’s CEO, said: ‘We focus on the areas for improvement, focus on the players that we feel can fill that gap and then send our eyes-on scouts to look specifically at those players.'”
Here are some examples:
Sold Cucurella for £63mill to Chelsea and bought Estupian for £15mill to replace him. That is the kind of profit they are making and it will only get more massive. Mac Allister, Caicedo and Mitoma will move to bigger clubs and this is the kind of profit they will produce:
1. Bought Caicedo for £4mill in 2021 then rejected an offer of £70mill.
2. bought Allister for £8mill if they sell him it will be £100mill or more.
3. Bought Mitoma for £3million in August 2021 and easily added £40mill to his valuation.
And then there is Edu & Arteta who devalue players they want to move on (Guen, Leno), burn through money and buy the wrong players only to sell at a loss then having to repeat the cycle of rebuilding with the wrong players. This has been going on for over 10 years, Arteta fans will say next season we have the right players only to repeat this cycle Ad infinitum.
The media reports Arteta wants at least 5 new players in the summer TW. What a fucking joke of a manager. Stan wake up before he takes you to the cleaners some more.
Killroy
I was surprised Tony Bloom went public with that info with the Athletic. Looks a fabulous business model of asset management and where I’ve posted that, by those financial gains alone, Tony Bloom could keep BHA a top 6 club or better.
To be honest with that supply of quality players to work with why would De Zerbi want to move?
Makes you wonder what Gazidis really did with our data company, and how good the algorithm really was. Probably more millions down the N16 drain.
Tony
This is the article but it requires a subscription which is $20 for a year.
https://theathletic.com/4237821/2023/04/21/brighton-scouting-premier-league-tony-bloom/
Quoting from it:
Brighton can point to examples abroad and closer to home with players who see a clearly identifiable route to career progression.
This is especially true of South American players, who see Brighton as an environment where they can grow before moving on. Brighton can offer salaries three times as much as La Liga clubs can afford, apart from Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
“They’ve been able to go out and buy young players who are maybe not ready, give them a few years before they put them in the team and they’ve got so many good young players coming through now.”
A lot of that is to do with the fact Tony’s company has the advantage of an incredibly well-established player database and that they’ve been able to flex that in order to support their recruitment.
“Brighton are an attractive proposition. If players move onto bigger and better clubs, although it’s a hit for the system on one front, it’s actually a huge investment on another.
“There’s then a desire from the next players that jump into those roles to think ‘I want to go to Manchester City, Real Madrid or Barcelona. Brighton are going to give me that opportunity’.
“That model of losing players for huge money to maintain sustainability at the club actually contributes to how great the model is. They’re growing their product.”
Tony you can see how young talented players will choose Brighton because they can see a path to end up at a top elite club in Europe. Unfortunately we ruined our relationship with that club through Arteta’s handling of the Caicedo issue in the Jan TW.
Killroy
I like the Athletic’s writers, but with me really only following 2 sports I felt the stories I’d like would be common place because they are realistically written. Thanks for the quotes.
I’m sure the coders and mathematicians are ferverously working to equal or better Tony Bloom’s software, as it’s a way to literally print money legally. I know Brighton well and it’s wealthy suburbs, Tony B would have no problem filling a larger capacity stadium. I’m a fan of Bloom & Brighton because of their successful asset management business, and the large improvements De Zerbi is making on the pitch.
After Arsenal, I follow Brighton with avid interest because they are the exciting new kid on the block as it were, where the signs are apparent that on this continued trajectory, they can only get better and bigger as a club.
Whether Bloom esq can go all the way with Brighton, is not an easy question to answer. Betting men will be backing Mr. Bloom I would imagine, and I appreciate the colour Brighton bring to the PL with their unique brand of football.
“This season we overachieved when the top 6 were having an off season. Either that or we completely bottled the title as we did top 4 last season.
LG will claim the first, as we at LIR proclaim the latter.”
After spending circa £300 million plus inheriting Saka (100 million), Saliba (50 million), Gabriel (40 million) and Martinelli (50 million) as far as I’m concerned neither of the above is acceptable. If Arteta can only compete when the others are in a shambles with that sort of money he’s not good enough.
Marc, Arsenal has little control over other clubs(other than playing them twice a season, where they are in their cycle, how well they’re being managed and owned. We were best of the rest this season and with healthy expenditure and a bit of luck, we could be challenging for a few years yet. If we don’t, questions will have to answered but our trajectory is good, with a young team and a manager, who I’m sure you’ll agree, has room to improve too! The stories coming out are that we want both Caceido and Rice in, early in the window. If this can be sorted early, I think we should all get excited.
Two devastating, pathetic chokes in consecutive seasons.
Hundreds of millions spent on players’ transfers and wages.
One wonders if the Kroenkes have looked at this in the past few days and asked themselves where the fault lies. The owners of most clubs with big budgets, and which have been starved of success, would ordinarily conduct a root and branch review and produce a strategy outlining a set of reforming actions.
Where does the finger of blame point?
Lack of investment? – not really, at least not in the past 3/4 windows taken as a whole.
Money misspent? – yes. We could argue names and specifics but it’s evident that not all if our signings have succeeded.
Support? – no, the majority of game going fans have really got behind the team this season, and have been superb away from home.
Leadership? – He certainly hasn’t convinced the entirety of the fanbase, and us still prone to making poor tactical decisions. And there’s no sense that he’s getting sustainably better, especially at times of the season when it matters.
I can’t see him being poached this summer back to Spain much to my chagrin. A well run club, hungry for success, needs to be fearless in making decisions (and doing so quickly). Arteta (and Edu) ought to be told his position is under review by Lewis and the Kroenkes. No sinecures!