Champions League night. At Home. 1-0 deficit, so need to win at least with 2 goals. Haven’t qualified for Quarter final since 2009-10. Eliminated 9 out of 10 times in knockout stages when we had lost the first leg. Worrisome past in Champions League. And a mountain hill to climb.
But…
Mikel was positive in the press conference and I’m sure the team is, too. Likes of Bukayo Saka, Martinelli (injured unfortunately), Rice, Gabriel, Saliba have proven their worth in England, I’m sure they are eager to do that in Europe as well. Today’s the day.
Arteta has stuck to the ‘new’ usual playing XI. Raya starts in goal to support the back 4 of White, Saliba, Gabriel and Kiwior. Jorginho keeps his place in the midfield, so we would see Rice again in a more advance role. Odegaard starts.
Kai Havertz leads the front 3 with Saka and Trossard on either side. LT has better eyes for goal and we might see him rotating at top with Kai. I would say we are playing with the best team we have.
I would have preferred Thomas Partey in place of Jorginho, but he has come back from injury and has hardly played. And Martinelli is out injured for 2-3 weeks so Trossard is 2nd best option at LW.
I don’t have much to say about today, except that we need the team winning today with at least 2-0. In return, they need our support and voice and enthusiasm. Lets keep the love and hate aside for the players and the manager and enjoy a beautiful night of football.
A very short one today, games starting in 30 odd minutes.
#COYG
Kroenke
The only reason Southgate got the job is because no one else wanted it which in hindsight seems strange given the strength of the current England squad.
There was an article the other day where the rumour was ManU were putting together a shortlist of replacements for Ten Haag of random name, someone else and Southgate.
It’d be Christmas and New Year rolled into one for supporters of every other PL team if Southgate got the ManU job.
Imagine dining with Southgate and John Major at the same table. Lots of peas and falling asleep face down on your plate.
GS – Hmmm John, these peas are really green
JM – Yes Gareth, but even more importantly than that, you must include Harry McGuire each time you pick a squad.
My interest was piqued by your comment yesterday about pyrolysis. Having never in the science/energy sectors (save for three years promoting the UK hydrocarbons sector in Argentina) the autodidact in me looked it up. Strewth – complex or what! Can you point me towards a decent link that spells it out for laymen?
Norg-I heard about that kerfuffle, but surely that can’t be the only time something of that nature has taken place and the player in question returned to the fold
if you want to watch a very exciting finish to an FA Cup match checkout Wolves v. Coventry…just skip to the 80th minute, as there’s 9+ minutes of injury time
2 nil to City after 30 odd minutes – game over what’s on the other channels?
KP
Pyrolysis is certainly complex – too much for my tiny brain. My scientific qualifications are O level physics – I left school at 16 and haven’t used the knowledge since. I stumbled upon a waste product a few years ago and was amazed what academics had discovered but had done nothing with it. It is capable of binding dissolved heavy metals and phosphate. 10 years ago I invented a pellet version which is robust and will not degrade in water for several years. Hector, my Spanish contact is keen to discover the catalytic behavior of our pellets when dealing with biomass or non-recyclable plastics. Pyrolysis is associated with high levels of toxins – hopefully our pellets can help – it will be great if it does but I think it will only have a moderate success – if any at all.
TRVL – certainly looks a good game – I can remember in 1987 – most Gooners became Coventry supporters for a day.
Keith Houchen with a perfect diving header. I even learnt that Coventry chant which Jimmy Hill wrote, the melody for which is based on the Eton Boating song…
We all sing together
Play up sky blues
If we sing together
We will never lose
Tott’num or Chelsea
United or anyone
We will defeat you
We’ll fight til the game is won
Or the rather more simplistic
One Cov, two Cov, three Cov……
Four Cov!
Here’s a piece of trivia. Jimmy Hill, the chinmeister himself, also wrote, ‘Good old Arsenal’ which was one of my favourites back in the day.
Marc – Fulham are beating the Spuds. 2nd half coming up.
NORG
Good luck with your project. I hope at the very least that it takes you to some interesting places.
Hey guys happy to report all’s good with the initial bloodwork and consultation. It’s such a different dynamic here as my cardiologist has looked after me for 15 years we look forward to seeing each other so the dynamic is different. I’ve had 5 stents with him and my interventionist, and my garmin data is very real for us.
KP that’s right Clive was the producer and it was Alan’s studio down Fulham Palace road. They knocked out the One Step Beyond album in one month that sold 4 million globally in the first year. Robbo,Stiff’s owner, was laughing all the way to the bank with Madness after his partner took Elvis Costello away from Stiff.
Then came Ian Dury. I read Robbo is doing a one man stand up show and would love to see it. I hope it makes it to the DVD. Robbo was Jim Hendrix guitar roady in his early days.
Norg
Sounds like a really nice place. My build was different and from the ground up, so I was able to precisely keep the compression from leaving the room.
When you feel like exploring the idea I’ll happily put you in touch with my friend Steve who lives in the Southend area. Steve and I had various video chats re the install as I had a bass deficit to recover. Now perfect. Steve’s coming out in November with his wife which will be a lot of fun as we go back about 40 years.
With line source your main volume is contained between the desired height so the need to go to my levels for excellent sound is purely optional to taste. The better your ears the deeper your pockets need to be. Steve claims mine are as good as his from my engineering days. It was a wonderful 32 hours tuning my room together manually. One of life’s moments for me and worth every penny.
Then there is the wife resistance test. Can you navigate various levels of flak when the budget hits the unmentionable? However, for me, in Thailand the DB13 Aston Martin cost £640k with the green 300% govt tax bless their little hearts, my dearest and furthest decided to go with the room but only for the investment value of course. Was happy to hear Sek will have more fans.
And so back from BKK unscathed after I decided to drive to music that eats up the 400 odd kilometers over around 4 hours and change. Not as much fun as the mountain clear roads.
In 4 weeks Song Kran or the biggest wet T-shirt party globally is going to be extended because we missed out through covid. Probably where the 300% car tax goes.
Song Kran, Thai New Year, is an officially a 4 day period of water and flour street play fighting but unofficially? Depends on the province.
The sad thing is around 400 die in the 4 days mostly bike accidents.
Not had time to catch up with the football but looking forward to getting to training with Junior who’s between schools. 👀
Always a challenge is junior but an interesting one to this 68 year old.
Norg is retirement in your plans or are you planning doing a Tommy Cooper😂?
I guess work ceases to be work when it’s our hobby as with me with music and photography.
Back to football tomorrow 💤
Spurs look awful in their ersatz Chelsea kit. 2 nil down now. Oh dear.
Three nil. 😁
Tony – sounds like the check ups went as well as they could. Nice one mate.
KP just saw the Wales Italy score and thought the vallies will be quiet. Dr Barry John will no doubt be unhappy with Welsh rugby. Those were great rugby days back in the un-corporate semi amateur rugby days.
Can England pip Ireland if we beat the French? I mean Agincourt again? 👀😂 if I remember right it was 5000 archers flighting 50000 arrows making the war over in 15 minutes piecing armour at 200 meters.
Incidentally, Agincourt is a brilliant read from Bernard Cornwall that fascinates throughout with interesting facts woven into the imagined and factual characters.
I’ll catch it in the morning
Fuck didn’t bother watching the Spuddies vs Fulham thought the Spud’s would get a routine win.
New post.