Arsenal v Luton Town – it’s still in our hands!

A win is a win but against a bottom 3 side with a long injury list it should have been a goal fest. Playing ESR in his best position would have shown what we are missing. El B has inherited Wengers stubborn streak and he will never change.
All the time we are in a strong position in the league our absentee owners are happy as they only see dollar signs in their eyes. They could be even happier but do not realise it.
Ambarish – another player to add to the list – Willian. The propaganda says he left for free and did not make a claim for the rest of his contract. He was paid £12million.

Hi Ambarish
Just caught up with your piece, for which many thanks as usual. I’d never seen or heard of ‘7am’ but nevertheless I’m sad to see it go. I spent lots of time in my career as a de-facto paid writer, especially when I was in London, and sympathise with you and Tim. I was usually writing about grim issues in places like Iraq, north Korea and the former Yugoslavia (which is arguably a little tougher and harder work for one’s creative talents than the goings-on in N5 of course) . Although the wages came in handy. 😁

Without sounding too exploitative, maybe you should go on to 7am,perhaps with Tim’s support and see if anyone wants to redirect themselves to LiR where Tim and his readers will be guaranteed a warm welcome?

I also wanted to say that I think we’re all very happy here Ambarish and we’re not expecting masses of output from you. Your job is insane by the sounds of it and although the world is more joined-up than ever, you’re slightly more distanced from the PL football media circus where you are.

In 2 words, don’t worry. You’re treating us like royalty by providing LiR as a forum. And if there’s ever anything we can do to help, just say the word mate.

Morning NORG

I agree that it was far from inspiring. As much as I like Nelson, and can see he continues to improve, he’s not at the same level as Saka. Until Arsenal scored, the team looked a bit rusty. But at the very least it was a return to winning ways. No injuries picked up, apparently, and TP showed signs that he close to being back to his best. I’ll be interested to see the team he picks for Brighton, presumably with half an eye on Munich. Maybe Stubborn el Bastardo is learning that rotation can be a positive…

Your final point about Willian made me wince.

ManU 2 nil down after 20 minutes.

If we don’t get 3 points against them later in the season it’ll be a terrible result.

ManU 2 – 2 Chelsea.

If we don’t get 3 points against both of them it’ll be terrible results!

Went last night, bit dull, three points, no drama, job done. I’ll take that for the next eight games.

Odd atmosphere though, I think in part, because many regulars couldn’t make it. Saw more unfamiliar faces than usual, bumped into a friend on the way who hadn’t been all season, I was able to get tix for both my kids rather them fighting over the odd one that comes up. Also, the dull game played its part. No jeopardy, most passion was for booing Townsend. When were doing “we’re the North Bank…” you know the crowd has checked out from the game. We were doing that at 20 mins.

Talking of Townsend, mostly in relation to Zinny, for all his attributes he’s really not a very good defender. Townsend and the other no mark on their right gave him worries. You’d think, as lacking as he is as a defender, Luton shouldn’t be the chore for him that it was.

Rotation was fine, subs were fine. Would have liked a look at Viera as I think he could be a player but don’t have enough to go on. Nelson, I think the same, he could be a player and perhaps only because I remember him tearing up the youths rather than his contributions in the first team. He seems to play within himself these days, hinting at what he might be able to do, and isn’t aggressive enough, as if he’s still that promising youth player trying to break through. He needs to be ready to take his chances when they come.

ESR, started sprightly but faded. Lack of game time may play a part. But he showed why it would be a shame to sell him. However that’s a big bag of FFP busting transfer chest money. He did much more than Reiss to justify his selection.

Which brings me to Eddie. Enough of this. Maybe like me and Reiss, Tets has memories of him tearing up the youths, he was a bully then, and he gets games on what temp . Now he just gets bullied. Imagine if he was our striker during banter years? He would be slaughtered. As it is, we’re doing okay so his lack of contribution isn’t harmful apart for a GD point of view. The crowd just watch him find new ways to run about a bit and do nothing. ESR running from our own half gets us more excited than Eddie on the edge of the their box. Sometimes we can look and think there’s a player in there. Not with him for me. The crowd around me don’t seem to have any expectations either apart from him losing the ball.

Defence, Zinny aside, were tidy. I think Luton’s near misses this season, against us and others l, gave me the impression they’d make things harder for us. They were actually terrible.

Upfront was a bit makeshift, Havertz got his assist, lost moments where he could have been more positive or selfish and chose to play meaningless half pre assist passes badly. I saw him play for Germany during the break and he seems the same for them, nuisance value just from good awareness and positioning and being aggressive and I’m not knocking that. Workrate can paper of a multitude of flaws. He works smart as well as hard. I’m not going to check but I bet half his yellows were the petty type however.. But when we thought he was going to be suspended after his nonsense yellow, more than a few people around me expressed annoyance at his pettiness and dismay at at the idea he’d be out for two games. Yesterday’s card was totally unnecessary and he does need to think about doing more than winning the odd free kick in dangerous areas.

Just watched ManU/Chelsea. I put it on for lol-age value. They’ve both been really entertaining this season but I’m laughing more at than with, I even watched a Carabo Cup final just for the bantz. Neither team lets me down with their crapness. Without Palmer, Chelsea would be fighting relegation and praying that the FFP police don’t come along and Dock them point top

I’m telling you, Liverpool are doing an us last season. Emotional late winners aren’t sustainable as we know well. We have to get into City Terminator in the rear mirror mode and keep grinding. I’ll take low key efficient performances all the way..

Chelsea v. United was quite an enjoyable watch from a neutral observer perspective…defintely sloppy at times, as Chelsea gifted United two goals and Palmer had two penalties plus a heavily deflected winner, but a 4-3 affair between two (former) titans, with some late-match heroics to boot, is all you could hope for when you have no skin in the game…still think Poch, with a little patience, has a better shot at righting that ship, so long as he can offload several valued periphery pieces and shore up the center of that backline, than ten Hag, who’s the odds on favourite to be the first off-season casualty of new ownership

to be frank, tH never really had a chance to put his stamp on things, as the circumstances surrounding the protracted sale made it nearly impossible to go scortched earth…they likely brought him in under the guise that he would be the focal point of a fairly substantial rebuild of sorts, but with an already agitated and increasingly more organized fanbase demanding wholesale ownership changes, he should have known that was never in the cards…I bet he wishes he had an absentee landlord and a blank cheque like ONE of his contemporaries…regardless, he’s never looked comfortable in his own skin on the ManU sidelines…whether it was too much, too soon or the fact that it would be difficult for anyone to thread that fucked up organizational needle, matters not, as he’s almost assuredly a dead man walking

I would suspect he might need a new gig where the lights aren’t so bright and where he can surround himself with a more receptive and youth-oriented squad, who require considerably less non-footballing maintenance…there’s no doubt his present appointment has negatively impacted his love of the game…maybe he’ll simply return to the Netherlands, but personally I would like to see him at BHA, once DeZerbi gets his much-deserved shot with one of the “big” boys …now onto more important matters…

I’m a little worried about our style of play moving forward…it started with our rather lackluster performances in the CL, albeit we ultimately prevailed, then continued against City and a banged up Luton side…with Bayern on the horizon, who will undoubtedly scare our oft-times timid manager into adopting an exceedingly defensive posture, and a whole host of must-win League matches on the docket, I worry about our ability to produce goals if our style of play provides considerably less grade A chances

with this on mind, I’m sick and tired of hearing fans, pundits and even former players, like Keown, trying to convince anyone who will listen that Havertz is coming good…to this I can only say WTF…one has to really wonder what’s going on behind the scenes when such energies are being exerted trying to slather lipstick on this gangly pig…no one in their right mind would have paid those fees and wages if they knew that this was in the offing…in fact, if we were 2-3 spots lower in the standings, it would have been a fireable offence…furthermore, don’t try to sell me on the more nuanced aspects of his “game”, like his movement off the ball or the fact that he supposedly puts in a shift each time out, as if we paid way above the number for an inverted DM, whatever the fuck that is, because it’s pure nonsense…as right now, he wouldn’t even be a guaranteed starter on a Championship side, even if his wages were a 1/4 of their present rate…all I hope is that his presence doesn’t prevent us from investing properly in a readymade Striker come the summer, which I fear it might

Thanks Aitcho for your interesting pitch-side thoughts. I agree 8 more wins like that, and I’d be happy, too. I hadn’t noticed ESR dropping off a bit, only that our movement was predominantly down our right side when ESR was wide open on the left.

Just scanning the FFP enigma news this morning.

This is my take. In a few years we will have a superleague whether we like it or not. For many here we remember the old Barclays Leagues; one to four where the dark arts of today were legal or semi legal or just not classed as free-kick fouls, and overlooked way back when.

Did there game have to change that much?

For me, it’s too little contact allowed today that has created the need for football oscars. Havertz notwithstanding, because his diving antics are just so pathetically poor and as TRVL suggests: Havertz is a very expensive waste of space who will eventually be paid to leave. The only question for me is when he goes, and I hope it’s this summer.

I also don’t condone the grabbing of players nuts ala Vinny and Gazza even if it is still funny seeing Gazza’s pictured contorted face.

My first question to my peers is: has the game gone too soft?

Onto FFP where the idea was a noble one, but the execution is always going to be marred by the financial power clubs owned by countries or deep pocketed billionaires who can basically screw the system by overloading its legal arguments by keeping the courts working overtime, where the eventual penalty will nowhere near match the level of financial doping.

My feeling is to simply scrap FFP.

If power clubs can’t keep up it won’t matter because of the impending super league, especially is there is no relegation from said Super-League. It would surprise me if the likes of Division 3 and lower will become amateur clubs again as we see another football revolution appear without even asking us fans.

My 2nd question to you all is:

What would you do with FFP now we can see only the poorer clubs will be hit the hardest on evidence thus far?

Super-league and FFP? Not a chance they go together.

lower financed clubs*

I hadn’t seen this before my post, but if ratified, will that just give City’s Saudi owner’s the loop hole to throw obscene money in fines, but no points deductions for their mind boggling transgressions since owning the club?

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-13273785/NBA-style-luxury-tax-benefit-richest-Premier-League-clubs-Mail-Sport-MIKE-KEEGAN.html

Maybe we should test that theory and flip FFP the Kroenke bird, and go spend another £400m on getting Emi back or better, but Emi behind our back four would be exactly what we need a brave commanding his area keeper, as Emi is. That way our defense becomes even tighter with the added confidence in the keeper. Not something we have with either current 1st & 2nd keeper.

Let’s not forget Emi’s vision with his distribution.

We need a LB cover & striker. If we keep Partey, maybe an extra back four utility player as Tomi is, but is too injury prone each season.

Aitcho – like the match report. I was a season ticket holder for 14years and many games were dull.

Tony – the super league is about 4 – 5 years away. The Saudi’s are going through the motions with their league even though they are throwing a small fortune at it. The real prize for them is the super league. Our Tim already has a place at the table.

Aitcho
I agree with Tony that your (and Marc’s) observations from within make for great reading. Thanks for putting it all down. Plus that picture you painted of internecine warfare among the 2 x Aitcho juniors to join the old fella at a game was priceless. Funnily enough, I don’t have the same problem deciding on who’s going to use my Haverfordwest County ST now that I’m a steward…

Hi Vieira
I take your point about Havertz. A massive understatement to describe him as an unconventional player. But…. This serious upswing in the team’s fortunes since Dubai DOES have a fair bit to do with him I reckon. A very difficult player and personality to buttonhole. I don’t think he’ll ever fully relate to fans. And don’t get me wrong – we could have done much better with the money. I don’t know about you but I loved Podolski on the rare occasions he played. A much more typical German attacker in my opinion.

And Marc – Very witty mid evening adjustment as Chelsea pulled two goals back! Cornflakes duly spat/dribbled all over the kitchen table.

Marc
As you’ll be able to tell from my mis-ordering of the goals, I didn’t watch last night’s thriller between the two English clubs of yesteryear.

Wow – it’s even a good feeling not to have to think of us as has-beens like those two any longer.

KP-I simply must reiterate the fact that I was a huge fan of Kai’s before he ever landed on British soil…unfortunately since that time my interest in him has considerably waned with each passing year…his now average at best pace, combined with his amateur hour footwork and finishing, have left us paying a veritable KIng’s ransom for the worst Striker in the PL, from a bang for your buck perspective…if that wasn’t bad enough, him being shoehorned up top means that our second highest earner, Jesus, and our 100,000+/week man, Eddie, are left watching from the sidelines…all total our per week Striker budget is an astronomical 645,000, which is a shockingly embarassing fact…this is likewise why I’m not convinced whatsoever that we will be breaking the bank on a readymade Striker come the summer

Vieira
If – and in this case it’s a pretty sizeable if – we win one of these two trophies this season, it’s questionable whether we’ll buy anyone, although a few might be sold. I think that’s an institurional weakness at Arsenal which the Hill-Woods will have passed down to the Kroenkes. Very shortsighted of course but in the Wengo years, we never looked like pulling off a repeat title at any stage.

I’m a little more sanguine about Kai but put that down to bias and a 20 year itch.

Going to confess, my guilty pleasures this season have been Chelsea and ManU games. Be nice.

I’ve been making conscious efforts to catch them for the high chance of supreme lol value. Even watched Carabao final, lolz

A real shame about 7am. I found him among the more measured bloggers and loved the fact he was an early adopter of using data. It had been clear for some time that he wasn’t really into it, he’d recently been putting out posts about random pursuits like disc golf and bread making regular basis. Pleasant reads but not sustainable for an Arsenal demographic.

TRVL – agree. Havertz is underwhelming. If you need an up front spoiler then move Rice further up the pitch and have a Partey type player as DM. El B obviously thought Havertz could play a role by his skillset is sadly lacking for a player in an advanced position.

Just off to see a fellow gooner friend of 48years. I wonder how long into the evening before Havertz comes into the conversation. I expect before our second bottle.

Norg, precisely that. It had been dull at the Ems for a long time. We’d generally win our home games, give or take the odd bump, and knew a bit like the Luton game in a wider view that it wasn’t going to change things. We were getting 4th and everyone was comfortable. Had Wenger not slipped into Europa, I suspect he’d still be with us, winning more than he lost, meeting minimum standards..

We still weren’t a bad team, just unambitious and that’s boring. The songs were dull, the vibes were dull. I know quite a few, like you, who gave theirs up.

Norg—it’s interesting that you referenced Rice in your previous post, as I’m fairly convinced that Rice was given some assurances regarding him playing further up the pitch…can you imagine a front 2 of Havertz and Rice? don’t laugh, as you just might see that absolutely ludicrous Striker/non-Striker combo pack coming to the Emirates in the not too distant future…only MA would shell out such exorbinant sums to both acquire a Striker who plays like a DM and deploy a world-class DM in more advanced spaces on a regular basis…god-willing I’m wrong

Worth a read….

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-13275775/Behind-tattoos-designer-clothes-rejection-SAMI-MOKBEL-uncovers-REAL-Ben-White-England.html

My personal take / preference on Rice would be to see him play in a double pivot with Partey similar to the Vieira / Petit midfield.

Both could / can defend and both were / are decent going forward,

Of course Partey’s only got a year left on his contract and with his injury record I can’t see us offering an extension so we’ll need a striker and CM in the summer so we can fully expect 3 full backs to be signed.

Marc-I certainly wasn’t suggesting that Rice should never venture into advanced positions, as lord knows we need to commit more men into the box at times, but how insane would it be to pay TOP dollar for one of the best DMs in world football then not play him there…of course, while with the Hammers, he and Soucek sort of took turns going forward, with the latter doing so far more often for obvious reasons…at the end of his last season, when goals were difficult to come by and the club was holding out hope that he might stay on, they acquiesced and allowed him to wander forward significantly more, but the results of this experiment were at best mixed…simply put, it’s fucking baffling how many times we’ve paid top dollar and beyond for players then deploy them out of position

deployed

regarding our matchup tomorrow against BHA, this could be another rather timely affair for us, as our opponents haven’t scored more than a goal in any match since their 5-0 dismantling of SU on February 18th…during that dry spell their record is a rather underwhelming 1-2-2, for a total of 5 points of a potential 15…so maybe this won’t be quite as difficult as I was thinking at first blush…that said, you should never underestimate DeZerbi, as he’s outmanaged MA on more than one occasion, but he might not have the horses required if we can field our “best” 11, which is still in question…it will be interesting to see what Arteta will do with anyone carrying any nagging injuries considering that our first leg CL match against Bayern is on Tuesday…time for MA to show his cards

Marc
When we bought Rice I always wanted such a double pivot from them as Rice has done with Jorginho especially as our games wore on and we retreated to defend-for-our-lives tactics.

TRVL
BHA rarely flatter to deceive and are about where they normally are chasing a Europe place with a small pack.

What concerns me is that BHA away has always been a difficult trip; first with Wenger,KP Robert and now De Zerbi as canny as they come, but not really needing to be with El B because our football identity and tactics are with Led Zep’s: The Song Remains the Sam. Best Earls Court 1975 Stairway to Heaven version imho. KP, Robert Plant has always been heavily into Welsh folklore.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ly6ZhQVnVow (famed solo is different – enjoy)

I digress as usual.

But our tactics are the worst kept secret of the PL – just very difficult to defend when we are at our best and, especially when Ode is on song where his flicks and cool laser defense splitting passes find their men.

De Zerbi will keep Rice occupied and look to stifle our midfield that will render our front three less than effective with lack of creative supply. No doubt BHA’s players will have been told to unsettle Havertz, which isn’t very difficult, as Havertz loves him a dive. Problem he’s shit at it like most of his minutes on the field.

Same trumpet, sorry, but after Luton’s MOTM performance, ESR should start and Nelson/Trossard also if Saka is doubtful or being saved for the CL. Martinelli at 9 anyone?

If we can find our mazy rhythm of past free scoring games, we’ll enjoy taking all 3 points from what will inevitably be a very neutral inspiring, lively game as De Zerbi raises BHA’s game: so forget the deer-in-the-headlights play from previous teams; home and away.

This will be a tough game, but my gut tells me we’ll take a 1:3 win away with us if Bayern isn’t in our collective minds too much; particularly El B’s.

Some cool tunes from a favourite of mine as a song writer, producer and singer…..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5UZd02c1FM

See you at the game lads…………

What concerns me is that BHA away has always been a difficult trip; first with Wenger, and now with El B because De Zerbi is as canny as they come*

The other biggest talking point this weekend is the United v Pool game tomorrow where we really could do with United helping us out and beating their joint most hated rivals with City.

Speaking about City Palace will have to be at their best to keep the score respectable so no reason to suggest they can take any points unless there is divine intervention, 100% rub of the green and luck of the gods.

Pep will see our taking a point in his home yard as a loss not a point gained. It will not happen again against Palace – not on Pep’s shift. So, it wouldn’t surprise me to see City win by a 3+ goal margin.

Liverpool against United away is a game to savor I hope!

This is a game where Gooners globally will be tempted to sell their souls to their devils for United to take the three points, because that could well give us one genuine hand on the PL trophy with 7 games to go looking down on our title pretenders.

Just a small matter of taking three points from Brighton, and then sit back and with trepidation to enjoy Manure take the points from a very wobbly Liverpool of late with the late winners being their recent form.

I feel Ten Hag will want a reaction from the recent Chav’s loss.

Palace upsetting the form to go one ahead.

Palace showing no rear and are pressing City into turnovers. Exactly what we needed to do And didn’t or did without conviction.