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.
Ambarish
Funny how a few on here took the view “what’s that fucking cretin doing now” when the line up was announced for the first match!
Just seen the MOTD highlights – our second goal should not have happened the Fulham player was clearly hurt and play should’ve been stopped.
A point today was lucky and undeserved.
57sec for Fulham’s goal the fastest so far in this season, why, because Pep’s gimp played the players that handled the defending last season out of position. This arstetahole can’t see the obvious that every armchair manager can see. Partey at RB, what a brain fart of an experiment.
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Havertz is an excellent signing believe me, as that fucking TW business will be the generational’s death sentence and he will be kicked out of the club. With players like Madison and Ward Prowse being available for less money, but he doesn’t like them, the supporters will express their dissatisfaction and call for his head, so he will be gone by the end of the season.
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Do I dare say it but the Spuds, who everyone thought would be a mess this season look anything but, they will compete for top 4. After tomorrow’s games AFC could easily be in 5th place after a City & Pool win.
people fawning over Vieira after one productive second-half appearance makes some sense in light of his rather putrid spell here, but don’t for a second try to suggest to me that this is some sort of massive Arteta-inspired silver lining…furthermore, the fact that our manager issued a public apology of sorts to the aforementioned player, for not providing him with more opportunities, is fucking rich, as this was little more than his smarmy way of patting himself on the back for “discovering” the kid…no matter how one spins this rather underwhleming performance, the third such match in a row, Vieira isn’t the answer to all the questions that need to be answered…as such, we better be fucking active before this window closes or we could quite easily find ourselves on the outside looking in come season’s end
Kilroy
Mitoma was the buy and still is. Can play 8 and LW, so can interchange well with Marts. Is a no nonsense player with grit defending from the front and is a good false 9. Basically, Mitoma is the player Arteta wants Havertz to be and who never will.
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Agree with your Spuds view unfortunately.
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Marc
Having seen the highlights you know it wasn’t pretty for us to watch the 100+ minutes.
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Game 3 = 2 unnecessarily hard fought wins and a lucky draw yesterday. What will our league position be after the next 6 games that include City, Spuds, Manure and the Chavs with B’mouth and good old Dyche’s Toffees?
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Our style of play is anonymous to all but Arteta. Our passing in crucial areas is very poor and we’re having our pockets picked far too much. The 365 guy Kilroy posted yesterday is right: Arteta has been found out and is bereft of ideas going forward. In a sense he is outsmarting himself leaving his squad baffled by what Mikel really wants because only his brain sees it.
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At the moment our play is a mix of all galaxy brain’s systems moulded into one. Arteta is clueless how to get the best from Party and Rice. He’s torn up his solid back 4 blueprint where poor Saliba is having to play at least 2 defensive roles, which makes him more susceptible to being caught on the ball or bypassed altogether.
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Of course our midfield is better without Xhaka, that’s a given. However, it’s not that much better with Party at RB where now we are weak because Partey is very confused not being a natural RB. Confusion is not what we want on game day anywhere on the pitch.
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We fall neatly into our formations depending on what the play is dictating like good marching bands, but the opposition know our shifting formations and act to break them down along with our predictable passing, and Arteta can’t see this. He’s too busy collecting yellows. and trying to work out why things aren’t working. We know now Stuivenberg can’t get through as Arteta knows best.
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Looking at it pessimistically our title charge could well be a damp squib hoping for 5th or better. Of course that’s a knee jerk reaction – shame on me, but it could also be a reality that even Houdini couldn’t escape from.
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Controversially, I could say ‘don’t panic Captain Mannering our Arteta will up em, sir!
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The problem is I don’t see Arteta upping em one bit. I see Arteta getting his arse handed on a platter too many times this season, and where hopefully Stan and Josh finally wake up and smell the coffee and see Arteta for what he is an average coach who need a fat cheque book with at least a £billion at his disposal.
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If I were asked now, I’d say we have no chance of landing the title or getting close. I’d say our current play is a 5th place and below. Not what we hoped for, but pretty much as I would imagine my esteemed colleagues and I who post, and our very savvy readers who love our club, expected from Arteta.
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Now the $64,000 question is what can Arteta do to get our thoroughly confused £billion squad playing like last season with some slight improvements?
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Here’s what I want to see with our budget:
Raya
Tomi/White – Saliba – Gabs – KT/Zinchenko (only out of necessity)
Ode/ESR – Party/Rice (6) – Trossard (8)
Saka/Nelson – Jesus/Balogun – Martinelli/Mitoma
In January buy a long term LB or promote from Hale Enders. I see Mitoma as being the missing piece to mount a title charge because Mitoma is already Son’s level and has a higher ceiling with the right manager.
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Let me throw this out to you all at LIR. We have 4 days TW left, who would you add and what formation would you play with who you bought?
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Mine is adding only Mitoma and playing mostly 433.
Thought this was an excellent reality post from:
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Belfast Gooner
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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said his side were “10 times better than last season” despite dropping points for the first time in this Premier League campaign against 10-man Fulham. (BBC Sport)“
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If I compare the game this season to last season, we were 10 times better than last season. At least 10.”I hate to come across as literalist, but I’m still hacked off at the performance and the result, and the stats simply don’t bear out Arteta’s claim.
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If he’s trying to kid the fans that’s one thing, but it sounds like he’s kidding himself. Apart from a marked difference in touches and passes, there’s little difference in the two games.Last season’s stats –
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https://www.premierleague.com/match/74941
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Today’s stats – https://www.premierleague.com/match/93341
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Disingenuous to say the least from Arteta and trust further diminishes!
We’re only 3 games in and I’m already seriously irked by sycophantic, anti-AFC pretenders like Pedro who only care about making money out of the monolith that is corporate Arsenal. A parasite eagerly feeding off the bloated, rotting corpse and dingleberries of what used to be a dignified football club (Peter Hill-Wood notwithstanding of course!). Already trying to talk down fans’ expectations after all that money has been blown so we can watch one of the best midfielders we’ve had since PV4 struggle in some hybrid right back role. IT’S FUCKING SENSELESS WHAT ARTETA IS DOING TO PARTEY. Other PL managers with less stupid, more parsimonious owners must see Arteta as a self-defeating tosser and that a door remains open for them to pip us to the post when it comes to trophies this year while he remains in situ.
But because Pedro thinks he’s getting closer to the Kroenkes’ shit stinking coattails, we ought to just accept (and even cherish!) one of the worst managers this club has had.
So here’s my message – stop the fucking idiocy with full backs (it didn’t work last season, and this year has brought no improvement) and play a conventional back 3 or 4. Put Partey back where belongs, ie alongside Rice bossing midfield against anyone.
And Pedro – take your forked tongue out of Arteta’s nasty culo before those fragments of pea and sweetcorn get stuck to it.
It’s scatological Sunday! 💩
KP
Intellectually, correctly and robustly iterated, my friend.
Seriously, KP, you are right about the coattails part, but in a way he’s a survivalist in a grifter sort of way. Married with a kid, so has to dig out success any way he can in the only industry it appears he can get traction in. Not an unseemlier story, just life.
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If I were Pedro, I’d be worried because his golden goose has stopped laying golden eggs, now only rancid 1000 year old ones.
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The big question is will Pedro go down with HMS Arteta? Will the Bloggard utter “do you know know how fcuking hard it has been to keep that facade going for 4 years? All in the interest of good entertainment which no one pays me for. Poor me!”
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“Had you all fooled, right?” ……………..Anyone?
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Then suddenly this song came to mind 🙂
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-H0uIH5HHQ
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enjoy your lazy Sundays LIR
Hi Tony
Before clicking on your musical link, I tried to guess what it would be based on what you’d written. I’d plumped for ‘we won’t get fooled again’ by the Who, but ‘that’s entertainment’ by the jam is an ironic twist (News of the world might also be appropriate). Fair does mate – can you or anyone else tell me how to write that in correct English. Fair dos/fair does (which must be the plural of ‘do’ but looks wrong) or fair do’s which cannot be correct with the apostrophe!
I’ve gone from thinking about excrement earlier this morning to good grammar. Help!
A propos of nothing, do you remember this little gem Tony?
https://youtu.be/gFU60VtI_70?si=OMXeq2vv2kdWIbcW
A bit art-schooly but I always though it should’ve made Bill Nelson a bit more of a success.
Lads
If you’re interested, here’s a glimpse of what life is like at the other end of the pro ranks in UK. Be good to know what you think. There must have been about 600 hundred fans there yesterday. Great last minute goal from that free kick.
Fuck – forgot the link
https://youtu.be/gaXGi3SIxck?si=aaA4Yn7MpxfY4yg7
Has anyone considered that Arteta’s actually got a plan?
Admittedly that plan could be to piss Partey off so much by playing him our of position he leaves.
https://youtube.com/shorts/iGMk7ElF4qM?si=TSkz9SeNC4TWUyNB
Lee Judges talking a lot of sense as usual on AFTV.
Marc
Arteta’s plan could be to usurp Pep at City once the latter gets bored of money and all those trophies. Arteta’s doing his bit to keep City at the top thanks to his hare-brained tactics.
Brutal reality by a commentator on Football 365:
https://www.football365.com/news/mailbox-onana-de-gea-clueless-ten-hag-arsenal-fraud-havertz-signing-arteta
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Just a few excerpts:
Embarrassing Arsenal
I’d like someone, anyone, to please make sense of the absolute lunacy taking place at Arsenal FC?
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What the hell was that Kai Havertz transfer about? It seriously needs to be investigated by the Serious Fraud Office because I can only presume Arsenal want to help Chelski recoup cash for their obvious FFP breaches.
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Of course though, Arsenal’s legion of deluded excuse-makers will be out in force “a win is a win” and I look forward to new and creative methods of bullshit excuses that would make Giuliani and Trump giggle!
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Brilliant stuff in that article.
Kroenke
I don’t doubt it – it will however do to his career what going back to Chelsea did for Fat Frank.
KP – Bill Nelson is a new one for me. I’ll take a more in-depth look, thanks. £75 smackers for a season ticket looks like a steal. Something I miss being here.
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City made hard work of Sheffield and are missing KDB. Such a shame.
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Killroy
Another nugget from Football 365 and 100% correct.
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Some good links and posts going down this weekend.
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Just need Newcastle to bloody Klopp’s nose with a win and Sunday will have been just fine as Keith Richards says in a Stones song.
Why the fuck is that not a 2nd yellow? It was far worse than Tomi’s last week.
Until ref’s learn that its not the occasional mistake that pisses off the fans its the complete lack of consistency.
” £75 smackers for a season ticket looks like a steal. Something I miss being here.”
I couldn’t make the match yesterday so sold my ticket on ticket exchange and got back £55 for it!
Newcastle in front and deservedly so. Can Dyke off.
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Loving it!!!!!
Van
Scouser’s imploding – TAA (who should have been sent off for a second yellow) fucked up and put a Newcastle player through one on one = Newcastle 1 up.
VVD then shown straight red for taking out Isaac who would’ve been through one on one.
Trent on a yellow will be next off
Tony
What did you make of the 2nd yellow that wasn’t given?
Marc
VVD told the ref to fuck off so maybe and extra week ban?
Tony
Wrong red shirt for that to happen.
How did he keep that out?
Hi Marc
I’ll lend you 20 quid (at a reasonably south American rate of interest…😊Ever the capitalist ) and added to your rebate yesterday, you can get a County season ticket. I hope you don’t mind driving though – we’re 250 miles from London.
Agree that Arnold should definitely be off too. The second offence was far worse than the first. A ref favouring the scousers – whatever next.
Tony
It was Xhaka-esque in terms of blatant swearing wasn’t it? I think he relayed the same rather blunt message to the 4th official.
That said, the ref probably should fuck off – he has no right officiating a PL game.
Carragher doing his nut about the VVD sending off – he doesn’t even try to be objective.
At least Neville makes an attempt.
KP & Marc
Agreed Trent should have been sent off for a 2nd yellow. VVD was last man of defense with no cover, so red was correct. Shame we don’t play them next week instead of Manure.
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KP’s £75 is for the season, Marc. :)Let the ref stay KP he might send Jo Linton off next and then Trent. Then the game will be fun.
Tony
I realised that I was just demonstrating the point about how much a single ticket to Arsenal costs. I sit upper tier North Bank within the first 10 rows so its a good ticket but its hardly club level etc.
I’m not even sure if Fulham is a cat B or C match either.
Newcastle need a second goal – it only takes a Salah break and its one all.
OK it wasn’t Salah but you know what I meant!
A Pool win puts us 5th in the table which is about right for the tetts shit show.
Killroy
Behind Liverpool who look anything but convincing, the Spuddies who have sold their Captain and best player and West Ham who sold their Captain to us.
All of whom have also had a tougher start than us.
It wouldn’t be so bad if yesterday was an abomination and we’d looked decent in the first two matches.
“Mikel Arteta has insisted that his side were “10 times better” against Fulham this season than they were last…We should have scored five, six, seven”
oft-times on LIR we ponder how so many seemingly intelligent folk could so tightly hitch their proverbial wagons to our present MIT, and to that I would simply point to the above delusional quotes…his words certainly aren’t Trumpian in spirit, as they’re not intentionally menacing, but the fact that they are completely devoid of any logical factual basis, yet hit the mark for a considerable segment of the population, is incredibly disconcerting…sometimes I feel as if I’m Curtis LaForche, Michael Shannon’s character in Take Shelter, who has apocolyptic visions about a dire future yet those all around him refuse to heed his warnings…of course, I’m fortunate enough to have you lot along for the ride, so that I’m not left to stew endlessly in some sort of isolated despair…even so, it doesn’t change the fact that, more likely than not, my greatest fears will be realized…meanwhile, I’m left surrounded by a whole host of brainwashed sycophants who would rather drown themselves in an ocean of false bravado than have to come to terms with the not so rosy truth that the horse they’ve backed just might be flawed beyond repair
Tony-as to your question about a plausible acquisitional path to right this ship, I would simply say this, I’m not sure it exists so long as our manager remains the same…I say this not because I think MA’s a hack of the highest order, I say this becuase in order to get things right he would have to first admit to his mistakes, which we all know ain’t happening anytime soon
I get that he both wanted and needed to be more tactically diverse, but I question how he’s gone about that quest…instead of adopting a more inside/outside approach, he chose to shoehorn us into an invert-dependent side…tbf this “new” look isn’t that different from what we did just prior; in fact, it’s actually made us less effective going forward and easier to defend…now maybe things might have looked a tad different with Timber and Zinchenko on their proper sides, but I’m not convinced of that and we will never know, at least not this year
like yourself, I’m a big proponent of Mitoma, but he wouldn’t solve our current issues, as he plays in Marts position…so unless MA was willing to play either in the 8-hole, which I doubt would happen, it would mean that each would find themselves on the bench far more often than they deserved…right now our formation favours only two individuals, Havertz and Partey, each of whom have struggled mightily, albeit I really feel for the latter…if MA played both Partey and Rice at DM, then put White at RB and brought Gabs back into the starting fold, Havertz would need to be benched, as Ode and the front 3 of Saka, Marts and Jesus are starting, when healthy…by now, we know full-well that Havertz isn’t going to be benched, minus maybe once for purely symbolic reasons
all that said, we need to first acquire a LB/wingback, who can share time with Zinchenko and provide some much-needed width and protection for Marts…secondly, we need to acquire someone who’s a clinical finisher, with a propensity to shoot from distance…how it’s possible that we’ve spent a fucking fortune yet our most clinical shooter is largely an afterthought option, Vieira, which speaks volumes when one considers the delusional aforementioned quotes from our manager about scoring 6 or 7 yesterday…these two changes would allow us to threaten teams both from wider positions and directly, which has been our achilles heal since MA’s arrival on the scene…not exactly sure who these individuals might be, as many of the best options have already landed in new locations or likely aren’t going anywhere, especially this late in the window…Cheers
it might be regarded as sacrilege by some, but I would take a life-sized cardboard cutout of Klopp on our sidelines over our current managerial option