Champions League Night, at Home. Beautiful.
We are playing Real Madrid at home in about 30 min in Champions League quarter finals. This is THE biggest game of the season, considering PL trophy is out of sight. Madrid is probably the toughest opponent you can get in Champions League over two legs. They will be 3-0 down on aggregate with 10 minutes on clock, and go on to win 4-3. With the likes of Mbappe, Rodrygo and Vinicious up front, and a midfield of Modric, Camavinga and Bellingham, they are one of the best attacking sides in the world and they have got a very good defence as well.
We, on the other hand, are going into the game with Merino as a CF. Jakub Kiwior in defence is another problem for me, as Gabriel M has picked up an injury and will be out for the rest of the season. We have a 17 year old at LB and a new CB partnership. That’s a bit concerning but you know, going into a game as under-dogs has it’s own benefits. The good thing is, Madrid will play an attacking game and we have been relatively good against the likes of Liverpool and City who tries to play their way. It’s the low blocks we suffer against.
And we are at home, so the crowd will be behind us. Boys have dreamt of this, to play against the best teams in the world, at the grandest stage, and I’m sure they are going to prove today that they deserve to be here. I don’t care about the second leg, we win today with 2 goal margin and we can play with 6 defenders in the away game.
Talking about the strategy Mikel would have put up …. well I don’t care. Lets go, play our game with freedom, give our 100% and see where it ends.
A very short one today, but I will be alive during the game today.
#COYG
I agree about Hoopah. I love your stuff mate. Funny, poignant and always spot on about the Arsenal.
On the lively debates, just like any families, we all choose our different times to be bastards, especially me. But one thing has united us this week which is tearing two arseholes out of Real Madrid.
My mate lives in Catalunya about 100 Kms north of Barcelona. He works at a university and said scores of local kids were dressed in Arsenal jerseys on Thursday. We’re popular again!
KP
Unfortunately our star CB wants to play for them. Hopefully he can supress that desire for a few seasons.
I can sleep much easier knowing that the experimental rat is still in his cage
Hi Vieira
I’m sure you’ll have read Orwell’s 1984. I’m thinking at some stage of doing a pilgrimage to the outer Hebridean island where he wrote THE literary masterpiece of the 20th century. That sentence made me think of Winston in Room 101.
NORG
After recent results, I’m sure RM will re-double their efforts to get WS. He’s been remarkably restrained about it really considering the way he was handled in his first three years at Arsenal. He’s truly immense and so important for our fortunes. All subjective of course and I know little about other clubs’ players, but is there a case for saying he’d be half of the best CB partnership in the world at the moment?
The premier league this season has unfortunately been a big disappointment, there is no title race and no relegation scrap , European qualification is the only interest, though for Arsenal champions league qualification was a certainty from day one.
In my opinion , the pgmol is partly to blame for making the title race a formality for Liverpool with their obvious bias against Arsenal this season , whilst at the same time favouring Liverpool with a number of soft pens ( 9) and at the same time ignoring van Djke’s numerous indiscretions.
If I was a betting man I would put my house on next season being the complete opposite to this season.
The pgmol will have discussions about this season’s outcome and how they have helped make this season be a non event, so what we will see is a completely different attitude to both Liverpool and Arsenal in that they will come down harder on Liverpool and not be so harsh on Arsenal.
What we will see next season is a very competitive premier league with a much lower points total to win the title.
Arsenal , Liverpool and city will still be the favourites but we could well see Newcastle and Villa in contention.
If you add the likes of Chelsea, united, forest , Tottenham and Bournemouth to the equation then I believe we will see the most competitive title race for years as the top teams will drop points on a regular basis .
If one team is going to run away with it next season it will be Arsenal as we hould strengthen up top and possibly midfield, but in all honesty I can see it being very tight as 5 or 6 clubs fight it out.
Ambarish—obviously that was directed towards me and of course I understand the sentiments, I would just say that I’m a bit disconcerted by the very real possibility that your words have more to do with the fact that the individual in question prescribes to your conspiratorial officiating nonsense than your desire to cultivate a conflict-free environment…just saying…regardless, I will try my damndest to comply…Cheers
Wicksy – do you mean to say that suddenly PGMOL will realise that they have genuinely treated teams differently and by some devine intervention they will sort themselves out and on top treat AFC differently? That’s a pretty deductive argument. Do you mean to say that only when AFC wins the league then PGMOL has sorted thier problems and are a shining light? That’s an interesting take on the incompetence of PGMOL and the hierarchy that runs the PL.
I will say this again and I have beaten this drum relentlessly. Make refree and VAR umpire discussion public and you see the difference. it’s done in other sports so can be done and it needs strong leadership aa Pl level to tell PGMOL to get this done. Also develop a system of rating refrees and make them accountable for Thier performance things will improve on it’s own. It’s not rocket science but just the will of the people who run the system. I say this again it’s got nothing to do with bias but the system aids secrecy and is not transparent enough. Hence the cloak and dagger discussions across all teams.
In cricket umpires are rarely spoken about these days while earlier they were the talks of every game and every series. As much as I hate what ICC has done to the sport but they have forever solved the umpire issues. Can the PL do it?
Ambarish
Hiya mate. Delicious irony there…Oscar Wilde and Jane Austen can eat their hearts out
In one message you say, ‘guys let’s keep it to football and no personal remarks’
And then, in the very next message ‘Bruno is a cunt’…. Perfect timing. I’m impressed.
As much as I hate shit-on-the-Villa, it was nevertheless very pleasing to see the equally odious Newcastle take a real tuning from them.
I get the sense that Watkins is starting to become fucked off with SOTV and Emery. I’m not sure we need his exact talents, and I think he’s getting on a bit, but I could see him doing a job at Arsenal not least because he’s apparently a big fan.
Good point Madhu. I think the concept of people/organisations marking their own homework is far too prevalent in life these days. PGMOL, like many other organisations involved in arbitration, need to be judged and held to account independently. Same goes for police, politicians, broadcasters, utilities companies etc. otherwise it breeds a sense of injustice and opens the way for obfuscation and corruption. That said, I’d die in a ditch rebutting arguments that Arsenal, one of the richest and most powerful clubs in Europe, was being singled out, especially when the accusers can’t even provide a motive, let alone proof.
Women’s result v Lyon was disappointing but close enough to make the second leg interesting.
What’s your main criticism of cricket Madhu? The formats? The commercialisation? The utter volume of games?
I struggle a bit with T20 games because they often feel like a complete lottery so not worth investing time in. ODIs are a bit dull and Test Cricket can be hopelessly one sided according to weather conditions, who bats first etc . I’m possibly also a bit disenfranchised because that England team, which ruled the roost for a few years, is now going backwards. Who knows?
At the ripe old age of 60, I’ve decided to start playing cricket again in a Pembrokeshire League. The other lads are in their 20s, 30s and 40s so I’m the old bastard trying to keep a low profile…do you still play?
Kroenke
“After recent results, I’m sure RM will re-double their efforts to get WS. ” Unfortunately you’re 100% on that one. Its something the fan boys just don’t seem able to fathom but if you’re winning league titles etc players are much less likely to leave.
Replacing Saliba will be a huge job (if he stayed he’d be the best CB in the PL) and I’m still convinced Arteta’s “good” signings are either obvious (Rice everyone knew he was a good player) or were early on when Arteta was still working with City scouting knowledge.
At least it will give Arteta and the fan boys another round of excuses with us needing another 6 or 7 players before we can compete.
The Villa win yesterday keeps the 2nd / 3rd to 5th race really open with 6 teams chasing the places.
We should see Leicester relegated today and if Wolves can pull something off against ManU (who knows with ManU this season) we could see Ipswich effectively relegated as well.
Hi KP – omg you have keyed into answering your question on Cricket :). Just as a background I played school cricket, college cricket, club cricket and finally corporate cricket for 18 yrs. I gave up 17 yes back when my son was born at the age of 33. I was a Wicket keeper batsmen. In my college I won the best wicket keeper award for a college tournament in Bangalore which was very prestigious. I never got trained or coached and didn’t proper equipment as we were poor and my father couldn’t afford. So all my cricketing life I borrowed, begged and shared cricket geras including groin protector. So you could say I spent money to play my beloved game.
My love affair with cricket stopped when T20s took center stage. I dont watch cricket all and especially T20s. The primacy given to that format will eventually kill cricket. For me I still watch Test Cricket as it truly is a format that tests all discipline of the game. ICCI is soley responsible as they are a monopoly to run cricket and will eventually kill the golden goose due to T20. Iam convinced that T20 was designed for our American audience and in time will slowly turn into a baseball type of game. It’s bastardised the game (pardon my language as you would have observed I never abused) and one day will be beyond recognition.
Test cricket is the ultimate test where bowlers get to plot and plan with no restrictions, batsmen will have to be almost perfect tame the elements , bowlers and make runs. Wicket keepers are a force to reckon with and contributed immensely. Captains strategise and each fielder contributes immensely to the strategy. T20 on the other hand is a batsmen game and eventually bowlers will be replaced with a AI aided bowler.
I will stop at this now.:))
KP
Haha, was just trying to not become the very thing we hated and opened this platform 4-5 years back.
Bruno G is a cunt regardless.
TRVL
Not at all but in general. No football without banter. I just want us to meet the next evening again on beers, everyone.
Let’s consider that PGMOL do not have an agenda against Arsenal. Arsenal v Madrid second leg was a very tensed game with lots of chances to go wrong from refereeing point of view. The first penalty, second one, yellow cards, fouls, etc. but at the end, the refs walked out of the stadium with their heads high. We didn’t discuss a single thing about the refs after the game because they did their job.
Can we expect the same about PL referees? Not just Arsenal, many other teams have gone public, fans have been rattled by some of the decisions and inconsistencies.
Saliba is not going anywhere. We have a pack of hungry, young players who are paid well and can see that we have only a couple of things missing to win everything. A CF, an attacking midfielder and we are in the mix for every title.
They will continue, unless someone’s a lifelong fan of some team (Saliba was a gooner) and wants to fulfil their dreams or falls out with Mikel.
Mikel did treat him badly in his early days at Arsenal but the fans supported him, forced Mikel to play him and ever since, he hasn’t looked back. I will count it as a WIN for Saliba against Mikel and it will not be a reason for him to leave.
Nice one Madhu.
Fascinating to read about your story as a cricketer. Wicket keeping is hard work, calls for masses of concentration and can be really bad for your hands and fingers. I imagine you played a sort of Rishabh Pant type of game!
Your lack of swearing record is still intact mate. Bastardised is a proper word that means taking things from various places and putting them together. I wish I’d kept my shit together over the years and not resorted to swearing on here…some chance.
Yeah on T20s, you can invest a lot of time and energy watching games only to see a team that you favour being bowled for 80, or shipping 280 runs which means game over. Tight test matches with deteriorating pitches is the best format in my view
Ambarish
That was priceless my friend. There are masses of unlikeable characters in the PL aren’t there. It’s a magnet for the dregs of society.
Emi Martinez
Bruno Fernandez
Romero and Richardson from Spurs
Pickford/Tarkowski
Anthony Gordon
Enzo Fernandez
Bernardo
Harry Maguire
To name but a few
Oooh and some more
Cucurella
Paqueta
And who can forget …..Haaland?