Arsenal v Fulham – Match day blog [& some criticism)

Arsenal v Fulham – Match day blog [& some criticism)

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.

152 Comments

  1. The Real Vieira Lynn

    as for Howe, he simply proved the old “juicing” adage that even though you might look good in a smedium shirt, when it matters most your balls will invariably shrink…maybe he should have leaned into that shriveled onion narrative and deployed Arteta’s 9-1 tactical scheme as soon as VVD was ushered off the pitch

  2. Morning all
    TRVL
    Really interesting reading that makes perfect sense.
    .
    Mitoma would be a bit of a shoehorn for 8, I’d agree with that, but the one thing Arteta has created is that type of floating free player, which Xhaka excelled playing because he had no responsibility; mum’s keys notwithstanding.
    .
    Mitoma, ESR, Zinchenko (least fav) and Trossard; all would be excellent in that role if we had Timber’s inverting twin for our natural left back. KT fits if he just defends.
    .
    Mitoma I feel can be very effective as a false 9 and indeed 9. He has pace in abundance, decent in the air even if he’s not the tallest at 1:78 cm. What Karoul does have that we lack is bite. He’s a gritty player who never gives up.
    .
    For a supposedly generational manager he really is myopic. Martinelli can be deadly from anywhere on our left side and a very effective defender when needed, as in the Xhaka days. We’ve become so predictable in our core tactics it seems MA is slowly drowning in his own doing and clearly seeing what others obviously can’t and confusing our squad in the process.
    .
    For me, Mitoma and a Timber quality natural LB and we have the quality to challenge, whether we have the manager? This poster says not a chance..
    .
    Then we need to sort out our defense. Why? Only the one and only galaxy brain can answer. Junior said Arteta should write for the Star Trek franchise. He does have a point our lad.
    .
    Let’s get White and lonely Saka reacquainted and oozing kumbya closeness in their passing and pulling LBs and LCBs all over the place with the help of Ode and now Rice. Just think if Mitoma was lurking in the false 9 position how much of an added threat that would be, especially if Mitoma was popping up all over the final 3rd ALA Xhaka. Mitoma would need man marking and gaps would appear in all of the PL defenses.
    .
    Get Saliba and Gabs together again to reform one of the best CB pairings of last season. KT has to be the starting LB and we should be buying real natural quality for this position even if it costs £65m+.
    .
    That should get our defensive unit back to where it was, and A&E have 3 days to find the LB and buy Mitoma to shore up and add accurate and surgical pivots and a free Mitoma to wreak havoc on this season’s PL.
    .
    As for our central Mid Field? Rice and Party with Ode in front. With Mitoma’s free role he can run interference centrally and out left but also linking play in the box and scoring 15 goals with 10+ assists.
    .
    Junior says Havertz needs time and I feel Havertz’s brain is split second behind the PL speed of thought, and why he always just misses chances. The German, Italy and French leagues are where he will excel. Time will tell.
    .
    That’s my fix for the current shit show because Klopp just showed us what he’s made of and has a feisty midfield who will only get better and that’s scary for any team to face; Klopp has sound options again and will no doubt have more with Salah facing his Saudi league medical today. More pennies from Scouse heaven for Klopp.
    .
    3 games in now and the PL is beginning to settle with City looking the rightful heirs. Bubble blowing Hammers being 2nd is the anomaly club that usually has a faux near top position early doors. They will finish a respectable lower mid table in my mind. A gut wrenching Spuds are 3rd without their talisman striker, Kane, now trying to find someone with a sense of humour in Germany – a thankless task. Klopp doing what Arteta can’t and beating a decent 10-men Newcastle, and then us in 5th place.
    .
    Not what we Gooners were expecting, was it?
    .
    What’s coming next I ask myself:

    Manure Home
    Everton Away
    Spuds Home
    Bournemouth Away
    City Home
    Chelsea Away
    Sheffield Home
    .
    These are our next 6 fixtures that would then represent the season’s first 10 games and a possible 30 points.
    .
    Knowing our current form and squad and the fact that we currently have 7 points, I think we will be lucky if we amass 20/30 points after 10 games and that’s being positive and Arteta will be under severe pressure of his own doing watching the title challenge become unattainable.
    .
    We have to get this TW right was Arteta’s war cry! Arteta is far from delivering with just Rice and Timber just a typical casualty and partly broken by Arteta.
    .
    3 days for our season’s salvation and a shot at challenging or becoming another excuse ridden season, if so, the fans will revolt because they are asking questions now on every blog and in the pubs no doubt.
    .
    Scores, points and thoughts LIR? Let’s hear them and your thoughts on Arteta thus far?
    .
    Have a good one LIR

  3. KP “we won’t get fooled again was an excellent choice.”
    .
    Hope you had time to wind down over the weekend and no doubt the twins were celebrating their win over the system with you and Mrs KP enjoying their victory.
    .
    Be interesting to se your thought to the above when you have time. 🙂

  4. And now for something completely different!
    .
    Almunia I think this might get your satirist chuckles going with this series:
    .
    https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2235759/|.
    .
    It’s an intelligent complete piss take of Russia’s Peter the Great’s son: Peter the …….. yet to be announced. It’s a cross of mild Monty Python and loose satire. It’s not rib tickling, raucous laughter, but just knowing smiles and appreciation of the excellent writing and acting with some history thrown in for good measure.
    .
    Worth a look to find out if you like lads and lasses? I’d say yes.

  5. Seems Bolagun is off to Monaco for £40m and I hope for first option and sell on % at the very least in his contract.
    .
    My defensive choice KT is off on loan to Real Sociedad, so our left backs are Zinchenko who isn’t a natural defender and Kiwior who needs a lot more than KT. Maybe no one wants him on his current displays.
    .
    Will Party and LCB Gabriel also depart to give Arteta more money? Take nothing for granted with Arteta. However, next TW, he’ll want another 4/5 players because he’s short.

  6. From what I can gather from various stories not fully giving their musings clarity, but LCB Gabs wants out or Arteta wants him out, and ex City and Barca Bit-Part player, Garcia, is wanted from Barca where Xavi says he wants to keep Garcia and the Pesta/Euro hard up Barca board have given merit to Xavi’s stance by saying they would need a very big number for Garcia to go..
    .
    This could be interesting for all the wrong reason with 2.5 days too go before the window closes. I smell a loan.

  7. Art Fraud.

    How long do we have to put up with this bullshitter?
    More Chelsea rejects and more spin and excuses?
    Emery is making ‘Art Fraud’ look like a total mug.

  8. Kroenkephobe

    Hi Tony
    Following on from what I said a few days ago, I’m almost inclined to think the Kroenkes need to put a moratorium on Tets buying new players. He’ll either physically harm them, play them out of position to make him look like Billy Big Bollocks or conspire to completely trash a player’s value. No more excuses – time to get on with the business of winning trophies. That’ll be a lot more likely if he stops trying to be such a fucking smart arse.

  9. Agreed, KP but it continues with the madness how is Party only worth £12m?

    “Partey bid rejected”

    “Arsenal have rejected Galatasaray’s €10million (£8.5m) bid for Thomas Partey.

    The Gunners are thought to want at least €14m (£12m) for Partey, 30, who was heavily linked with a move away earlier in the window.

    Fanatik claimed Galatasaray framed their offer for the Ghanaian midfielder as an initial loan with a view to a permanent stay.”

  10. Kroenkephobe

    Arsenal should Galatasaray to stick their offer up their parsimonious Arseholesaray. Ridiculous offer for a player like that.

    TP is worth far more than that. Imagine what Jeddah Handchoppers would pay for him. It’s a fucking disgrace that our excuses for a Manager and DoF are even thinking of selling him. That tea-bagging episode was kicked out of court too right?

  11. Kroenkephobe

    I hate to gloat but does anyone else ever get the feeling of being thoroughly vindicated that 9 out of 10 LiR contributors have been right all along about Arteta being such a useless, hollow ponce?

  12. Kroenkephobe

    Tony

    I’m clutching my pearls and being ever-so-melodramatic but I’m close to reaching that stage where I might try to stop following AFC ’til lego fucks off. There’s just no joy in it right now. What Lee Judges said in that clip I posted on here is haunting me because of its undeniable truth. All 3 games have been utterly agonising and the club feels like it’s regressing. This unrelenting stubbornness and arrogance just makes me want to step back from Arsenal for a while. I fucking hate what they’re doing right now. From old man Kroenke down to Tets and Vinai, they all need to fuck off out of my club (I’ve been a fan longer than the lot of them have been sucking money out of the Arsenal combined).

  13. The Real Vieira Lynn

    KP-maybe you didn’t see, but at the bottom of the previous page I made a similar comment to your 6:45 entry, regarding our collective predictive powers…of course, I so wish that weren’t the case…tbh it did look like a hat eating feast could have been in the offing last season, until the not so Real Slim Shady stood up and proved once again that when the going gets tough he shits the bed…interestingly enough, if we could have secured Caicedo and another seminal piece in January, as the monies were clearly there for the spending, we undoubtedly would have won in spite of the manager…not to mention, we likely wouldn’t have pursued Havertz in the summer

    as for your potential Arsenal-related hiatus, please reconsider, as I would sorely miss your regular contributions…Cheers

    btw I thought for sure you would have responded to my Klopp cardboard cutout and Howe smedium posts…maybe they missed the mark or just got missed entirely when the blog page turned late last evening

  14. Upstate Gooner

    “I hate to gloat but does anyone else ever get the feeling of being thoroughly vindicated that 9 out of 10 LiR contributors have been right all along about Arteta being such a useless, hollow ponce?”

    That got me to laugh out loud, KP. Did you guys see his “If I compare the game this season to last season, we were 10 times better than last season. At least 10.” comment after the Fulham match? The guy is not only stubborn but delusional as well.

  15. The Real Vieira Lynn

    Ambarish-as per our late last season and early summer conversations, Tierney has left and ESR might be following him soon enough, as Chelsea appear to be seriously interested…that’s why you never take MA’s words at face value…you were pretty adamant that neither would leave because MA had claimed that both would remain at the club

    in regards to ESR, MA said the following, back in March,

    “And now he needs to prove it, he needs to prove how much he wants to win, and how much he’s going to contribute to this team to be better and win. And he’s going to have to show that to get in the team”

    how ironic considering how many players, including our most recent 65M recruit, who’ve failed miserably when it comes to meeting those standards…this is the kind of nonsense that makes one think that MA holds those he didn’t personally recruit to a higher standard, minus maybe Saka

  16. KP
    Foooooobbbbbaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrr another 3 times please. (LT Bad Boys movie ref)
    .

    You can’t go mate I’d have to fly to the UK to find you to talk sense into your understandably, Arteta’s caused, frazzled mind. It’s not the money, but I can’t speak Welsh boyo. I always use my best jock Edinburgh accent when in sheep shagging land, as is much safer than English and Cockney, and they haven’t got a clue what I’m saying, ye ken bodach?
    .
    As with TRVL, and I would wager all 92,000+ readers of LIR feel: you are a valued friend and Gooner where between us we can rise above the Kroenkes and A&E while posting to feel cathartic rhythms from our chats. Quite simply put, you’re family, KP – gooner/LIR/family, KP. (Tissues in the bottom drawer, KP)
    .
    The biggest reason is you’d miss Arteta being fired.
    .
    I mean not metaphorically, but from The Arsenal Canon straight out of The Emirates to the nearest Priory clinic. Mikel is already suffering Inspector Dreyfuss facial tics, so not long now. 18 points at the 10-game stage and pretty much that’s our title charge back to a Trott hoping for CL qualification.
    .
    The other big reasons are you’ll miss the fanboys meltdown. That will be priceless, and you’ve done the time KP, you should savor every last drop of their pain and utter, incredulous disbelief.
    .
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIk45fEWBok.
    .

    Think of the years of fun we can have with their sorry asses, so as to never run out of plates to hand them on. 🙂
    .
    Convinced yet, KP?
    .
    “Mrs T?” I might need a ticket booked to go on a ‘Saving Gooner KP” expedition. “Airport did you say, Mrs T?” “No, only parachute or helicopter where KP lives. No, a drone won’t carry my weight, Mrs T. Very funny, NOT!”
    .
    Are we there yet, KP? I’ll keep on with this inane humour attempts until Almunia can take no more and step in with the good stuff!
    .
    We all feel like that on the regular, but you come to LIR and you know you are NOT alone!!!!!!
    .
    Almunia? A little help here please. Some lilting Irish soul filled satire perhaps; just a few lines of what would happen if KP left? The our worlds ending stuff…
    .
    TRVL
    I think Arteta has seriously lost it and is blowing up the squad, as if he’s just arrived at the club. The Pep wanna be has just realised he can’t be and never will be. So, he is starting again, only the players are too confused to buy into the half baked system. He’s just realised inverting leaves big gaps behind for our CBs to fill. Apparently, in Arteta’s word you can be in 2 places at there same time.
    .
    Arteta will throw anyone under the bus to save his own fat arse. Havertz will be next, ESR, Bolagun, LCB Gabs, KT and plenty more over the last 4+ years know the feeling well. I would hate ESR to go to the Chavs because Poch will get the best out of ESR, that Arteta should have nurtured. ESR is a lifer with us; his links with Saka on the pitch were telepathic.
    .
    Thank the world of fornication that there are only 3 days left for the TW.
    .
    Garcia is trying to force Barca to sell, because Arteta is now fretting that with KT out on loan and Kiwior seriously needing a loan, our left side is an open highway for teams to speedily attack us down. However, we have, Zinchenko, our emotional clinician on the ball, but lousy defender, as our LB. So, A&E are shitting bricks about getting Garcia, but it will end up a loan if anything.
    .
    The TW we had to get right has turned into a last minute Wenger style trolley dash with A&E panicking and trying to fill too many holes in the dam to plug properly.
    .
    We are in the same position we were in last season’s run in. We’ve lost an integral piece to our new defensive system in Timber, who it’s looking clear now, Timber, the RB was bought to play LB and got broken in the process.
    .
    Because of all this Saliba is making uncharacteristic mistakes on the ball with little to now cover from the right or left sides..
    .
    LIR
    I don’t think there has been or is now an escapologist who could dig his galaxy brain out of the mess Arteta is in right now. Preseason is out of the window and Arteta is trying a new system on the fly with the players thinking collectively WTF!!!!!!
    .
    There’s no point us losing our shit over the unscrupulous, vindictive cretin because the end is in sight for Arteta’s reign. Pedro is now fighting a losing battle on LG and with that will go all his early credibility with his best posters who have long since left the LG building.
    .
    For Pedro, though this song is his nemesis:
    .
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYTOhFpiBDI
    .
    Have a good one LIR

  17. Marc

    My initial position on Arteta was that he didn’t have the managerial experience to take over a club as big as Arsenal – he seemed to be a very highly rated coach but needed to take on a smaller job first to learn the ropes.

    When we won the Cup I thought OK he’s had a bumpy start but he’s won a trophy lets see where he can take it – this was followed by Arteta being useless.

    Now I just think he’s a cunt.

  18. Kroenkephobe

    Tony
    You’re an absolute prince among princes on here. Very kind of you to say all that, but we all make this site better and help each other! I wasn’t threatening to leave, just to dilute/suspend my feelings and support while he’s in charge. I stuck it out on the Gooner (as ‘Arsenenknewbest’) for years despite the lengthy decline inflicted on us by the board and chihuahua head. And I’d still love coming on here even if the AFC synapse was removed from my brain. I can’t ever fully give it up, but the little interloping bastard in the perfect black pullover is testing me to the max

    AFTV is interesting right now. I get the feeling that Robbie and his mates are growing impatient /frustrated too and that Tets might be in their own version of the last chance saloon. They’ve never fully taken to him as diehard Gooners and I sense that if we put up another incoherent display against Manure and lose, then Robbie, Lee and Kelechi (my three favourites) et al wil begin to crank up the pressure. I don’t fucking care what Pedro and his deluded cabal of arselickers think – we’ve spent heavily, he’s been hanging round our club like a stink for 4 costly and depressing years and he has to deliver or get the fuck out of the way. I’m Klopptimistic we could get that German geezer with the startlingly big white gnashers to replace him!

    Ambarish
    It might be worth extending a hand of friendship to Robbie and AFTV and see if you can form some kind of relationship. I think they’d be hugely impressed that you’re operating live and direct from India where jointly you might be able to establish a profitable partnership for both of you. You should also see if you can get some LiR exposure on AFTV by coming over to the UK and doing some interviews . I’d put you up in W Wales too so that you can see the best corner of the UK. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

  19. 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.
    .
    He so fucked he’s willing to listen to offers for ESR. How sucky is that?
    .
    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.
    .
    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.

  20. Kroenkephobe

    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.

  21. Art Fraud

    ””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.

  22. Marc

    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.

  23. The Real Vieira Lynn

    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

  24. The Real Vieira Lynn

    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

  25. The Real Vieira Lynn

    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

  26. 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.
    .
    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!
    .
    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.
    .
    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.
    .
    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.
    .
    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.
    .
    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.
    .
    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?
    .
    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.
    .
    Too much to ask?
    .
    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.
    .
    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!
    .
    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.
    .
    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.
    .
    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.
    .
    Right now, things are looking grim for Arteta, which includes us if A& E don’t sort out this TW.
    .
    Have a good one LIR

  27. Ambarish K

    TRVL

    I’m frustrated with Tierney’s loan, hence a new post.

  28. Ambarish K

    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.

  29. Ambarish K

    New post.

  30. Ambarish K

    Art Fraud,

    Welcome!

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