We have come to the final day of the European season. We are already the English Champions and need to beat one of the best teams on the planet today in Budapest in the Champions League final to win something we have never done before in our club history. It’s only the second time ‘ever’ we are playing the finals. The last time we did, our GK was red carded in the 18th minute, we took the lead with 10 men but 2 back to back Barcelona goals in the fourth quarter of the match robbed us of the trophy.
Now, I love a neutral venue, one legged knockout game because it all comes down to who wants it more. PSG, led by Luis Enrique is playing some mind blowing attacking football. Arteta, on the other hand, prefers a controlled, possession based, wait for the moment type, defensive football. Two very different managers and two very different styles of play but I believe, in a game like this, it doesn’t matter.
What matters is who is willing to die and kill on the pitch, and who is better at it.
In the team news, Timber might make it today but I would rather go for Mosquera. He is match fit and can do the job at RB. Dembele is a doubt for PSG so lets just hope he doesn’t make it.
If you ask me, I would go with the same playing XI we did against Burnley bar one change. Raya in the goal, Saliba and Gabriel as CBs, and Calafiori on the left. A midfield of Odegaard, Eze and Rice would be perfect and Saka, Trossard starts on the wings. And, GYOKERES STARTS UP TOP, NOT HAVERTZ.
Havertz header contributed to the title, but lets not get emotional and lets stick to a hungry, physical, clinical striker.
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I am excited. The last game of the season for us is the biggest one, and against the best team on the planet. There’s no margin of errors, and chances are that even if you do everything right, it may not be enough. On the other hand, we could neutralise their attacks for 85 minutes, and score off a set piece towards the dying minute. Anything can happen and that’s what makes it the biggest trophy.
Right, that’s me done. See you during the game.
Ambarish
Viktor should start but El B is more likely to go with Bambi on ice. Odegaard is not a big game player – PSG will swamp him.
Raya, Gabriel, Saliba, Rice and Saka are guaranteed starters as long as they are fit. Calafiore will get the nod at LB if he’s fit, RB’s a tricky one Mosquera has done OK when called on but Kvaratskhelia is a fantastic player and I really think we need someone who’s at the top of their game to deal with him.
After that we’re into how does Arteta’s mind work – playing both Eze and Ode in CM is risky against a team who cut through top teams like a blowtorch through butter so does Zubi give us more defensive cover. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Eze start on the left as for Arteta a day without shoehorning a player is like a day without sunshine (sorry fans of Full Metal Jacket!). Up front I think he’ll go with Havertz.
As for the result – I think PSG are a far superior team to us but winning back to back CL’s is a massive ask so that might go in our favour. Its one match and anything could happen.
Quiz question: name the biggest celebrity prick AFC fan…
Can anyone seriously beat phone hacking, bloviating arsehole Piers Morgan? Instead of offering his hackneyed, public schoolboy, never-played-football so-called analysis, he should publicly and repeatedly apologise to poor Milly Dowler’s mother. A proper cunt.
Enjoy yourselves today everyone. I was in Mexico in a place called Playa del Carmen with Ms Kroenkephobe and a 6 month old boy child when we lost to Barca. Feels like an eon ago.
NORG – I agree about Gyokeres. He needs to start. Havertz has looked good off the bench since his return and might get some space later if needed after Gyok has roughed up their centre backs a bit. Hakimi and Dembele are rumoured not to be fully fit.
Hi Ambarish
My daughter is going to be taking loads of pictures in N5 tomorrow when we’re there. I’ll send you some next week.
Norg, Marc
I have never been a fan of Odegaard personally, so wouldn’t mind MLS at all in his place.
KP
It changed from Piers to Neville a couple of days back. That cunt was taking Kroenke and Mikel interview at Emirates. If it was up to me, I wouldn’t have even allowed him to interview WIN, let alone sit and talk to the owners and manager.
Ambarish
At the start of the season when we bought Eze several of us were asking why? Not a criticism of the player but more having also bought Zubi where would he fit in. Leaving Ode out (not my opinion on whether we should but observing the consequences etc) would be quite a statement for next season. If he’s not first choice how can he be Captain etc.
His injuries this season have also been a concern – it might be a case that we look to cash in with a view of Eze being first choice and Dowman as back up.
We’ll all find out in a few hours.
Apparently people were queuing to get into the Twelve Pins before 10am this morning!
They’re going to be wrecked come 5 if they don’t take it easy.
Liverpool have sacked Slot with Iraola favourite to takeover.
Now I’m not surprised by the sacking – I’m fucking amazed they didn’t get in early enough for Alonso.
Marc
Slot axed after 1st and 5th positions.
This cunt 8th and 8th and still fucking here.
Absolute fucking travesty, he is still in his post.
I may be in a small minority, but l hope Enrique wipes that smug smile thats been stuck all week.
KP
That would be awesome, thank you very much. LiR is not going anywhere for the next season :))
Marc
I had the same impression that Eze was a competition to Odegaard. However, Mikel feels he is instrumental in his set up. We won the title, so I am not complaining. Not until the start of next season haha
AF
Yep, you are in minority for that take. I would take a 28% possession to Arsenal and 1-0 scoreline after 90 min.
No shame at all. Hell, PSG can break the record of highest shots on target and I won’t care if we lift the trophy.
Come on Mikel. Do your thing. You have been practicing for 6+ years now.
On a serious note, Slot received a team that was already competing. He won a title because of Mo Salah’s greatest season, City’s transition and we bottled it up.
This season, he finished 5th, 60 points and after getting Ekitike, Isak etc. plus whatever he says doesn’t make much sense. Never did.
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Mikel got a team with Mustafi and Kolasinac. Xhaka was collecting red cards, and Maitland Niles was in the midfield.
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We have a lot of reasons to bash Arteta, but I hate to disagree on this.
I read somewhere that Liverpool board doesn’t rate Alonso, so they didn’t try for it on purpose. Take it with a pinch of salt, though. Tabloids are scums these days.
Corrupted bottom feeding tabloid scum to give them their correct description.
Utter, utter scum , sold out to the kleptocrats and billionaires.
Not a fuckin ounce of integrity between any of the media filth.
All sell outs.
All cunts.
Rot.
Ambarish
Arteta inherited a team that had finished 2 points off 3rd the previous season and took us to 8th twice and 5th once.
He was also desperate to keep Xhaka which is a sackable offence all on its own.
Fartso,
It’s not ‘might’, you are in a minority.
Because you’re a plastic, fake gooner, wailing online like a useless old drunk.
Stay away from our club you waste of space.
I saw a queue at the Twelve Pins going past Finsbury Park entrance at 8.45. Had to go to Bromley for work. Saw folk in Red even this far South. London is ours.
On my way back North, time to get home, quick turnaround, back out to the Ems, anticipating madness once I hit Victoria and no Lime bikes closer to home.
Enjoy the game wherever you’re watching. COYG!
Look who is back.
The soppy cunt who can’t get a ticket and calls people racist and sexist because he is so far up this moronic cunts arse, he has had to revert to constant lying.
No wonder why you like this cunt, you are a bigger cunt than him. That takes some fuckin doing.
Cunt.
Cunts flocking together.
Hope you fall off one those bikes.
The real plastic cunt.
Cunt.
Slot got a bit of a rough deal…if anyone should have faced the axe for this season it should have been Hughes, who left him bereft of suitable options on the backline…Kerkez wasn’t ready for the task at hand and Frimprong was oft-injured…Hughes likewise forced Slot into accepting his more veteran-based agenda, whereas I think Slot wanted to turn the page, which was always going to be a difficult sell after winning it all the previous season
the whole operation was an unbalanced mess, with his top-scoring midfielder needing to be played as a right backer, not replacing Diaz but instead signing two Strikers, one of whom, Isak, came in at the 11th hour then missed most of the season with injury, and him being required to play an out of form and defendively unreliable Salah 98% of the time…his biggest mistake, and possibly a sackable offence, was his inability to get Wirtz firing on all cylinders(or any, for that matter)
regardless, I do applaud any team that places a premium on high standards being met then exceeded, or at least maintained…feels to me that they decided some time ago that Iraola was next in line, which is why the latter announced his departure when he did…surely he wouldn’t have made the same mistake as Glasnor and not have things settled before doing so…I think if it were me I would give him one season with a healthy Isak, a more settled Wirtz, no Salah distractions and refreshed backline…I’m sure Slot will do well wherever he lands, I just don’t think he’ll get a top job right away, as he clashed a bit too much with the top talent, even if he wasn’t totally wrong in doing so…if it is Iraola, he should be licking his lips with the potential of this side once the backline is sorted and they fix their wide side issues, especially with his preferred style of play