It has turned out to be such a strange season, that even after we playing at our best, beating teams for fun, winning at shite hart lane, keeping clean sheets more than any other teams, scoring more than anyone else – we are going to end up second! Man City just can’t lose can they?
Fulham can do us a favor, they can restrict Pep to a draw or win against them. I have zero confidence in Tottenham beating City and West Ham can’t go through them on the last day at Etihad. If something can happen, it’s today. Lets hope the gods favors us and Fulham and we get to see for once the sad face of Pep Guardiola. We have one of ours play for Fulham, Bernd Leno, who has promised that he will give his 100% to stop our competition.
There has been some happenings while I was missing. Jorginho signed the contract for another year, Mikel was full of praise for him and it basically confirms it’s time for Thomas Partey to go. I don’t believe Mikel wants to keep two 35 year olds to fight for one place when Declan Rice is a starter. If I was you Mikel, I would sell Thomas for whatever money we can get, and go into the market for a DM understudy to Rice/Jorginho.
Bayern did us dirty in the quarters. Saka was denied a clear penalty. Harry Kane got away with an elbow on Gabriel which should have been red. They weren’t so furious then about refereeing, but when it happened to them against Madrid when the offside whistle was blown a bit too early, all hell broke loose. Mr Tuchel, Karma is a bitch.
Next year’s kit has been leaked, and I am disappointed to say the least. Last season was best of Adidas, both Red and White, and the black ones were great. This season, the third kit was a standout and home one was fine too. I think I might skip the next season’s if the leaks are true.
A belated Happy Birthday to Dennis Bergkamp, you happened when I was playing cricket as 10 year old but looking back, I would have loved to see you play live. A gentlemen, a magician, red through and through.
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Fabrizio reported that we are monitoring the young 18 year old Ajax centre back Jorrel Hato. He has a deal till 2028 and he will be an investment for the future. We most certainly need a third regular CB to rotate with Saliba and Gabriel without hampering our game play. White/Tomi are CB but we haven’t seen them play there, and we don’t know if they will turn out to be equally good. If it costs us 10 odd million, I would say go for it.
Sacking news have started about Pochettino. He talked about an interview, the content doesn’t really matter but if the manager comes out and talks about it, either he is fearful he will be sacked, or he knows he will. Chelsea has just moved from a billionaire russian who managed to win things to a billionaire american who can’t make things happen. Loving it.
Right, and Ten Hag just can’t stop talking about us can he?
Good piece Ambarish. The LB at Ajax looks good, too. Sadly no favours from Fulham.
Stay with the derby KP City just cut through Fulham like a hot knife in butter.
No way City are dropping points today.
At Spuds? That would be funny.
Fulham have players who could nick a goal but City will just go up a couple of gears.
And they scored.
Fulham keeping City to 3 shots on target in 38 minutes so keeping their shape well but limited to 0 shots on or off target.
Fulham have to make changes
One way Celtic traffic KP by look of the score and stats.
Fulham keeping the score respectable but have no width as they look to contain City centrally.
Silva has never won against Pep in 12 games and I think game 13 is going to be unlucky. It’s hot and City are pulling Fulham all over the place so when tired legs start to make a difference I see City securing 3 points winning by 3 goals.
This is where I’d love poster’s curse to prove me wrong………
Fulham pushing hard so game is more open. Kamikaze football but fun to watch.
And then the expected 2nd goal City comes with consummate ease.
More to comeš¤ā¦ā¦ā¦.
Number 3 for City as expected
City 4 less GD than us and could add more now with about 20 to go.
Now only 2 GD between us. Pressure now on us to win tomorrow and a few goals would be helpful.
City at Spuds Tuesday night will be their biggest test.
Without Kane, though, Spuds are lacking firepower.
City will be wash rinse repeat for me.š¤
Spuds living up to their poor form and making Burnley look anything other than relegation fodder.
If we sell Partey in the summer we will definitely needs a quality replacement. Jorginho is good cover and experience to have round the squad but he’s not going to cope with 45 odd matches over the course of a season.
Of course the above highlights my point from the other day – what position did we buy Havertz to play? If we buy a striker in the summer (something we’re being linked with) does that mean a CM of Ode, Rice and Havertz? Because I don’t think that’s robust enough for an awful lot of away matches and ever some home games against the better teams.
Burnley just scored – I think that means season over (assuming we do win tomorrow).
2nd bottom club Burnley 0:1 up with Spuds looking awful. City would be at least 2 up by now.
Song looks like his PL days are done.
Fair point Marc re Jorginho being good for the squad. El B is on record of wanting to sign Jorginho before he went to the Chavs.
We need to replace Partey if we sell. Havenāt has proved heās a false 9 or 9.
Havertz is not the 8 we need to win title.
Spuds level
With Spuds being so porous thereāll be more goals in this game.
Tony
Agree again we’re talking about square pegs and round holes.
Spuds made really had work of beating relegated Burnley. They are poor as we showed them up to be, City will finally break their Spuds away hoodoo and should win by at least 3 goals.
at some point you have to kibosh all the managerial “hero” tactics and just play players in their BEST positions…DeBruyne is an attacking midfielder, but because he can pick a pass he could be deployed as a deeper-lying pivot, but only an idiot would do that on a regular basis…here we’re constantly choosing the most counterintuitive course; we invert backers when our wide side players need more overlapping help, we choose tweeners when we need specialists, we pay above the number twice for shot-stoppers when all along playing out from the back was major part of the intended script, we opt for lightwieghts when we needed a little more grit coming off the bench, etc, etc, etc…thank fucking god we already had some key pieces before MA arrived and we’ve likewise experienced an unprecedented period of investment or things could have gone to shit in short order, like they did in the season following our rather fortuitous FA Cup win
of course it’s certainly not all doom or gloom, far from it in fact, as we’ve clearly shown some considerable improvement in the years following MA’s slow start, but I can’t help but think what might have been if you had given a manager with considerably less “growing pains” baked into the equation the same youthful high-end core and a seemingly blank cheque…regardless, I still remain hopeful that City will somehow trip over their dicks with 3 matches in 8 days, but if that Fulham encounter was any indication of their determination to see things out, we could find ourselves coming up short once again…that said, we must get our business done against a deeply-troubled United side or things will surely be decided before the final weekend
TRVL
Making a tactical change by getting a player to do something unexpected to blindside the opposition is clever (assuming it works!). Overcomplicating everything or confusing your own players is daft.
Havertz spurs level? Very bright. That’s why Madrid and Bayern were interested. Of course you’ll say they weren’t because you were wrong and most fans have admitted it by now.
Only the worst people still maintain bad opinions on Havertz and still try to take shots at the manager who’s got us equal to our best win total ever and biggest goal differential.
But according to some, it’s all Artetaās fault that Man Cheaty are close to taking 6 of the last 7 titles and last years treble.
The only difference between Man City and Arsenal on today’s date is that they have won a lot and they have more experience in doing so.
We faulterd last season towards the end, they are winning almost everything this season.
We will beat them once, may be next season, to the title and then they will have to play catch up to the winners.
Marc—agreed…it reminds me of when Wenger became more fixated with proving a point than prioritizing the greater good, vis-a-vis his failed unearthed gems projects…at least he had earned the right to try and fail, but even his “free ride” had an expiry date…let’s face it, the very fact that Wenger dominated our organizational landscape for such a lengthy period made it exceedingly more likely that another such figure could emerge on the scene, as the “god” complex gene is deeply imbedded within our DNA…hopefully the results of this little experiment will resemble Wenger’s first term in office far more than his last
Ambarish – yes please to to Tony’s e-mail. I am looking forward to the music content and sadly we will not be listening to the singing of ‘ theres only one team in London etc etc as the open top bus passes through Islington unless the mighty Tiny Totts can do us a favour. The next few weeks will be a case of will we or wont we sign x or y. And who will be off to pastures new.
Aitcho – Havertz is a player that I judge on what I see and I have yet to see someone who truly inspires. There seems to be something missing.
It’s not a broadsheet fact stuffed piece, but I’d forgotten most who were out so this little reminder set me to check for more details as I don’t do much online reading with always having a busy mind in other areas.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/how-arsenals-21-loanees-fared-32788776
TRVL
We didn’t establish hunting season dates, did we?
We win 3-1 today after being 3-0 up. A Manure player will be red carded.
I watched Spuds v Burnley highlights. After they went behind, the Middlesex team looked quite threatening after they went behind. I’ve not completely lost hope. Spuds still have an outside chance of CL. Moreover, Postecoglu doesn’t give off a massive anti-Arsenal vibe and will want to qualify.
I really don’t have a clue how this afternoon is going to pan out.
ManU are awful, their players are poor, moral looks to be rock bottom and they’ve 1 win in their last 6 PL matches, Ratcliff is kicking serious arse and it looks like they’re going to see a huge summer clear out of both the manager and players.
Our recent run of form is far superior and we have superior players across the squad (I can’t think of any ManU players I’d be happy to see decent money spent on) so on paper it should be fairly straightforward.
The problem is ManU will raise their game against us (they should roll over they have nothing to play for and they can’t want City to win the PL) and what worries me is our recent pattern of starting well and having a really strong first half only to see the opposition’s half time team talk / changes really put us under pressure and us struggle in the second. We got away with it against the Spud’s, we didn’t against Villa.
Arteta needs to up his game so we’re not depending on good fortune or referring decisions to get the 3 points after dominating the first half.
Kroenke
I really really hope you’re right.
I have no idea like you Marc. We could run riot or drop points as Norg said Manure is a tough place to go to where our history isn’t great.
If I were to hazard a guess I’d say 1:2 with Havertz getting the winner. I’m assuming Havertz will play 9 and MU’s mf is leaky at best with the aging Erikson and toothy Fanandez has become toothless. Rice, Ode and Partey should have our MF sown up tight and being creative.
Let’s hope. I hated seeing Shitty’s fans delirium yesterday at Fulham.
Just to make matters even more complex not only do we need to win but we need to win by at least 2 goals as our goal difference cushion has been eroded down to only being 2 better. If City draw against the Spud’s and it goes down to goal difference we know City will whop West Ham by 5 maybe more, we need to give ourselves as little work to do against Everton as possible.
Tony
The idea of Fulham getting something was always a near impossible long shot.
Outside of today our hands are in the hands of the Spud’s – will they shake off their current run of form (2 wins 4 losses) in a bid for CL football or will they be all Spursy.
I’m living in hope but not necessarily in expectation.
Of course first things first we need Arteta to not choke.
Marc
Well put
I just hope he doesn’t see fit to make a serious change in team selection nor structure. Same team that dismantled Bournemouth/Chelsea/Spuds. We’re all experts or connoisseurs of Arsenal. We’ll know in the first 10 minutes.
Let’s keep the possibility of winning it til the last day at the very least. I think our pressing will frighten the life out of manure and they won’t be able to cope.
Line up as expected. A positive sign.
Football apps suggesting same line up with Tomi at LB Rice, party and Ode midfield and Tross keeping the LW starting birth.
Should be a ein
Fuck 3-1. We’re going to beat them 8 fucking 2 and avenge that defeat.
Love your PMA KP we need the GD as Marc said.
Biggest game of the season for us as we have a say in the outcome.š
Here we go then letās have at em. š
We are better all over the pitch today and on form
Manure’s bench packed with unknown players. Good.