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.
—
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?
Aitcho
He looked a but lightweight but he could kick unstoppable shots. I can remember one against West Ham when he unleashed one from 35yards. It curved this way and that sending the goalkeeper the wrong way. He didnt score many goals but that one was a beauty.
Norg
Back in the 80s I was a project director running a project for the ex greek minister of tourism. He was talking to me one day at his house about Greek politics, and I think the then Energy minister. Any Christos was telling me that the minister had syphoned off ÂŁ3m and was laughing. When I asked why he was laughing Christos replied the malaka should have taken ÂŁ2m and no one would have bothered.
When Greece went bankrupt I was not in the last surprised.
I’ve only been to Dubrovnik back in the late 80s I think or a few years before the civil war. I met a group of newly graduated doctors and had a great day and night with them. We swapped letter until the war and I never heard from them again.
Today there’s been all sorts of selective memory bullshit being spouted by our manager and, of course, our resident LG correspondent…for those with the darkest of Kool-Aid mustachios, what’s on offer likely rings true, whereas for those with a firm grasp of reality, they’re simply a constant reminder of how frightfully contrived narratives have become since MA’s hiring…in that vein, he first spoke of having to be “very brave” when pushing your OWN ideas as a manager, which even he can’t honestly believe, as he hasn’t brought even a sliver of innovation to the equation…following that nonsense, he then veered into a diatribe about his singularly focused plan from the onset, which belies logic considering his more veteran-dependent agenda in year 2…tbf the more he talks, the more deeply concerned I become about our upcoming recruitment plans
of course, I still hold out hope that we can buck history and finish in the catbird seat, but it does seem rather unlikely…I will say this though, there has been times when City has lost when they appeared to be on the cusp of winning, albeit that is more of a CL gig, and there has likewise been a couple occasions when they’ve lifted the title due to some incredibly fortuitous late game heroics, which might not be the case this time around, so there’s still a flicker of hope, no matter how faint
Aitcho
The context I view our being losers for the last 2 seasons is because it’s been 20+ years since we got a sniff of a title, and we can’t do it when the other big clubs are shitting the bed 2 years running.
If we had a win cycle of 1 3 1 2 4 1, I’d see that as being and elite team with an elite manager.
Now 2 2 5 8 8 only brings poor visibility when you consider we should have won this and last season but for El B’s repeated mistakes.
You’ll find some joy if we come 2nd or 3rd next season. If you do, then fair play to you. People who settle for less are generally happier in life. Their life is the status quo for mediocrity. Everyone is different.
Where I start letting loose with an AC10 canon is when I’m expected to read and then comment on pure loser mentality drivel.
It’s as bad as a Jehovah’s Witness knocking on your door or any other god squad ramming piety down people’s throats. I’ll pray for you they say. It will happen when it’s God’s will is another classic. Then the one that really gets me is God made the world in 6 days and rested on the 7th.
I say when you look up at the billions of stars you get the meaning when they say God’s work is never done.
Course it isn’t, the figment of imaginations of the many who mostly use the big R as a crutch, is still busy building planets and probably doesn’t get Sundays off these days. I wondered if he’s got the Holy ghost hood carrying and running the mixer. Mary on the dumper.
Apologies to any christians who maybe offended. To those who chose a religious path again I mean no offense. Like I said I’m a Jim Jeffery fan.
As aforementioned I like a challenge and I challenge myself all the time. My current one is my 6-pack back at 69. I’m 4kg away and am thankful for muscle memory and being a gym rat.
Aitcho you’re wasting your time with me. I’d say try TRVL but that does’t seem to be working out for you either. But there it is you like losing, so happy to bark but when bitten you scuttle away.
I’m starting to feel sorry for you, Aitcho.
I live in a country where it is a challenge to live here all the time. Paradox and irony rule but it is also still a free country compared to CCTV UK. Money and name rules in Thailand. When I was consulting to the govt I was given a name card with a prestigious educational govt agency with Ajarn in big letter on the back in fancy gold lettering. When I was stopped for speeding on most trips I would give my name card and the officer would salute and thank me for helping Thai people and could I possibly go a little slower from now on. Wash rinse repeat at the next speed check.
One late night in Phuket I was stopped on a time road and asked if I was drinky drivey, which really tickled me that I had to get out of the car, as I was laughing so much and getting cramp. The little policeman with the little lantern was laughing with me, but had no idea why. Tears streaming down his contorted face.
Cost me 2000 baht but for entertainment value worth every penny of the ÂŁ40.
Hod carrying*
“Iâd say try TRVL but that doesât seem to be working out for you either.”
And, as if right on cue TRVL you hand Aicho’s sorry arse on a plate.
Norg
While in comic mood. Another sardonic duo were Bird & Fortune:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dd7ziJsnnvo
Wonderfully written and delivered. Enjoy
For the record Rory B has quite severe ADHD which makes it all the more amazing for Rory to be able to focus long enough to write and act. His Horizon documentary was excellent. It taught junior a lot of how to cope because he understood it better.
Petrovic was soooo lightweight, he made Fabio Vieira look like Giant Haystack(s). NORG – was he intended as a cheap alternative to Sir Liam of Brady or did they both play in the same team? All in all, we haven’t generally done well with Eastern European imports over the years. Arshavin, Stepanovs, Luzhny, Suker hardly hit the heights consistently. He’s a little more til he started smoking like a laboratory beagle.
The weird thing about Tito is that he was from what is now known as Slovenia iirc. I suppose being neither Serb nor Croat, Chetnik, Partizan nor Ustashe probably helped. The break up of the country was caused by Germany (quelle surprise) who then did nothing to prevent it spreading on the ground. The Americans like their foreign adventures to be about good guys and bad guys like a corny old western flick. The problem in Jug of Saliva was that it was a three sided war comprising ethnic, religious and nationalist groups all of whom had wiped their balkan arsehole with the Geneva Convention and wanted to settle age old scores (a bit like LiR these days… ). Three sided? Just a little complicated? No wonder the west struggled. You also need to throw in the fact that there was not only plenty of arms from all over the world but that everyone was tanked up on Slivovitz aka Plum Brandy which even turned people like Boutros Boutros Ghali into a street brawler.
Happy memories from the FCO!
I visited there in Tito’s time and did a fucking mad road trip through Mostar, Sarajevo and Dubrovnik. All in a rickety Renault 4 (remember them – with the gear stick coming out of the dashboard?
He’s equals Ches
My DB6 with the bullet proof screen changeable number plate and ejector seat button on the gear knob was having its MOT done hence the Renault….
Tony
I like Rory Bremner. He and that other bearded guy he teamed up with were often spotted at Highbury. And Bird and Fortune were very dry, cerebral and properly satirical.
Bird & Fortune – amazing. One of their sketches in the Secret Policemans ball about the gents in Notting Hill Gate? Absolutely brilliant. I have been trying to find it on you tube but never have success.
Renault 4 – what a machine. A girl friends mum had one – whilst changing gear with the trombone she pulled it back into second and the whole stick kept on coming – she was so amazed she almost ran off the road.
I think they only existed in two colours -light blue or beige.
Rory McGrath…
Tony
Your comments could do with 65% less fantasy and more football. But I get why you don’t.
If we come as close next season as we did this then I won’t be happy at the result but I’m sure I’ll, like most fans have being doing, enjoy the ride. No big team shit the bed, this is you coping with being wrong about things, most things. It’s not my fault if you don’t recognise what league tables and simple data show you and rant because you can’t cope with data and evidence showing you up. Not me, the data.
If you haven’t enjoyed this season because we didn’t win the league, you should try and find joy elsewhere. This football thing isn’t for you. It’s not settling for less in life to acknowledge the team I support may not win the league. That’s a really sad perspective. I don’t feel you should connect feelings of self worth or success to how a team you don’t control play.
Your ambition appears to be limited to “hand arses on a plate” with a fellow fantastist. Don’t bother with footballing opinions and stick to the insults and fantasy. You and Trvl can do your ‘Falling Down’ homage in tandem. I’ll stick to the logic.
8, 8, 5, 2, 2 with improving metrics shows progress. For a pretend project manager you ought to at least try and pretend to understand processes take time, that’s why we call it ‘process’ not ‘magic’. It really is as simple as that.
Time for you to get back on David Owen’s shoulder.
KP
Even now a Dubrovnik, Mostar, Sarajevo road trip would be hair raising. It was probably slightly more nuts then. I’ve done it in part, only by car where there was no sensible train option however.
The region seems less nuts, safe but still not worth talking politics out there. They’re a long way from truth and reconciliation. Having to explain to the kids, the relevance of chants at games, graffiti they saw or slogans on t-shirts without pissing off a local who might happen to be listening was always a bit tense. How is Kosovo Serbija Dad? Who’s that soldier painted on the side of the stadium. Why are there Nazi signs on the wall?
Serb enclaves in Croatian regions of Bosnia, Bosnian towns in Serbia, Albanian Macedonians, Kosovo itself of course, working out who’s in charge by whether it’s Cyrillic or Roman script first on the signs, all good fun and a good for the kids learning to switch sides at the drop of a bus ride.
Doing it in an R5 seems negligent but I’d fancy it’s chances on the mountain more than a DB6
R4. Less sporty. More hardy
KP
I don’t think Petrovic played with Brady. He may have been a replacement. I just remember, possibly jingoistic, frustration towards him. I never saw Brady live so I didn’t have the same benchmark to spark my annoyance.
Achole—for someone “enjoying the ride” so fucking much, it seems incredibly peculiar that you would choose this specific blog to frequent when there are so many possible “like-minded” options…so either you’re a trolling dipshit or you simply don’t know how to navigate the internet, which I know can’t possibly be the case as you clearly do your homework before posting one your tall tales(see above)…maybe someday you’ll exhibit some real courage and reveal your true intentions, although, based on your managerial predilictions, I very much doubt that will be in the offing…tbf I’m fairly certain you’re a Trump-loving American, likely from Columbia, Missouri, due to your linebacker and Falling Down references…how’s that for using “the logic”
TRVL
I’m not sure he’s even bright enough to be a Trump supporter – more likely some current David Koresh type given his everything Arteta does is wonderful mindset.
Marc—it’s been a minute since I’ve seen or heard a wacko from Waco reference…how apropos as he too was an arrogant git and a tale spinning twat
AITCHO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26ClGxCylSM
Morning all
I thought as we near the PL final countdown some reference should be made to City where Richard did-you-smash-her Keys who charm school made no difference has actually found the right voice today stating the following in the DM:
Keys said: ‘The problem remains, it all comes with an asterisk.’ (referring to a 4th title)
He later read out the charges that Man City are facing:
’54 failures to provide accurate financial information between 2009-10 to 2018.
14 failures to provide accurate details for player and manager payments.
Five failures to comply with UEFAâs rules including Financial Fair Play 2013-14 to 17-18.
Seven breaches of the Premier Leagueâs PSR rules 2015, 16, 17, 18.
35 failures to co-operate with the Premier Leagueâs investigations from December 2018 onwards â thatâs the charge sheet.’
‘Then you look at the circumstances where they have been able to spend what they want. Theyâve had fantastic lawyers and even better accountants.’
Manchester City are awaiting the outcome of 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League at the start of 2023, for regulation breeches across 14 seasons from 2009-10 onwards.
The charges include claims over financial reporting, and a lack of co-operation with a Premier League investigation which was opened in 2018.
Premier League CEO Richard Masters said a trial date for Man City’s case was set in January, but it has not yet been revealed when it would take place.
Mail Sport reported last year that the ‘trial of the century’ was pencilled in for late 2024, with a verdict not expected until at least the summer of 2025.
Manchester City deny any wrongdoing.
Tony
The likely outcome – Pep will be told to drop his kacks, bend over the desk, have a severe thrashing with a wet lettuce leaf and then told he is a very naughty boy. It is now 2024 – 6 years on. City’s lawyers are bordering on the criminal to keep this trial away from conclusion.
Meanwhile in London N5 we must be perilously close to the limit of what we can spend. No doubt Tim will make sure we are squeaky clean.
Tony
Food -Mediterranean, Middle Eastern & North African are my favourite cuisines. I was 18 when I first discovered what courgettes, aubergines or capsicums were. I moved to London not long after my 21st birthday and the world of food opened up before me. My daughter is a real foodie and an excellent cook and she can conjure something out of nothing -it always tastes delicious. We will be in London in a couple of weeks – I will be loading up the jars of smoked, pulped aubergine and tahini. We will be dining at an Eritrean restaurant while we are there.
âŠtbf Iâm fairly certain youâre a Trump-loving American, likely from Columbia, Missouri, due to your linebacker and Falling Down referencesâŠhowâs that for using âthe logicâ
Hi Vieira
That would be geographically incompatible with the turquoise and orange Miami Dolphin’s Pony trainers (the ones with the little astroturf nobbles on right?). Floridian Aitcho – respect for mentioning them but what were you thinking? I’m a Raiders fan BTW so I’m in a glass house happily throwing stones…
I’ve been to St Louis and I’d say it was properly insulting to have someone suggest you were from ‘Missoura’ as George W Bush liked to call it. GWB seems like the Olaf Palme of US politics after that little handed orange bastard which is bonkers considering how awful his reign was.
Apart from that massive silly arch and the nearby STL Cardinals stadium (where I saw them beat the Brew Crew) there ain’t much to recommend. I was glad to get out until I hit my next baseball stopping off point which was…. Cincinnatti (!) which is also grimmer than Grimsby!
Anyway, I’ve given up trying to suggest we all play nicely because it would be boring. Roll on the toffees and let’s get the season out of the way.
Aitcho is perfectly adept at defending himself and I welcome his stuff on here. I don’t think he’s as rabidly pro-Arteta as he’s sometimes portrayed – those types o’cunts are still picking fights in the empty room that is LG (RIP). There are nuances and he can and will defend on field progress. I can see that but still think Arteta’s the weak link in getting Arsenal just that bit further forward. Plus Senor Stubborn El Bastardo – to give him his full name – seriously grates on me while every previous manager we’ve had since and including Bertie Mee (and even Stewart Houston) I’ve easily been able to like, support and respect.
Love and Peace
Wales’s answer to Jeffrey Lebowski
In contrast to keys, I liked Andy Gray as a pundit as he talked sense. Don’t know about you guys but I like Andy Townsend in the co commentary chair. He’s on our coverage for much of the season and talks unbiased sense. He was an honest hard working player, now a similar pundit.
In The Mirror El B says he feels responsible for his parents divorce, would this suggest mummy and or daddy issues, as a source for his non negotiables? Not really sure what his parents’ divorce has on his management nous and ability as a manager?
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/arsenal-mikel-arteta-premier-league-32825882
I Know TRVL likes Sesko so what do others think?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOQ_dHg-S4M
Obviously, the lower league gives Sesko time on the ball he won’t have in the PL. If he can adapt then he looks a good 9 project. Is he ÂŁ65M worthy? Well, it’s Havert’z territory price wise, so El B obviously thinks so.
Norg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNOaiDb5C_8
That’s an hour’s worth of the secret policeman’s ball.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSOeZliaCgU
Another of their best
Norg
I watched Have I got a bit more news for you with Jack Dee last night and really enjoyed Jack Dee’s delivery. He was really on form.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIDWnV8ss74
In The Mirror El B says he feels responsible for his parents divorce
Apparently, he annoyed the shit out of both of them within seconds of being born. Striding up and down his bassinet waving his arms about, generally getting in the way and being unsporting to other babies in the maternity ward. And from there it just got worse…. He kinda had that effect on me too when he arrived at the club. And since then, well the rest is history.
Any thoughts anyone on whether those RM/Barca type rumours might resurface this summer about them wanting to poach him from Arsenal? đ
An extract from Arsenal.com about Petrovic which clears up a few questions.
A playmaker but right-sided, who was seen as a replacement for Liam Brady. He was 5 feet 9 and weighed 10 stone. Unlike Liam Brady, one can see two problems already. Liam Brady, wasnât called âChippyâ for his technique but for his love of chips, which gave him his ârounded physiqueâ. Having that extra weight also meant Brady would, to use the English euphemism, âput his foot inâ. Two things poor Petrovic wasnât made for
… So chips are a good thing that give you a ’rounded physique’. Well I never!
KP
I saw Brady make his depot. Seventeen I believe. Skinny (but tough), shoulder length hair and baggy shorts down to his knees (not quite the fashion at the time). He was spaying accurate passes all over the pitch – a lot of happy gooners that day.
debut – probably needed a depot to fit his rounded frame in later years.
KP
We can only hope. If it happens, I hope Aitcho has a good support network for his El B PTSD.
He is a LIR gooner and likes seals after all.
NORG
Brady still makes my Arsenal all-time XI (and probably always will). He didn’t put a foot wrong in the 5 minute final against Manure and was everywhere. It must have been a real buzz at THOF when he made his first appearance.
KP – if their ages were the same Cesc would have loved to play alongside Brady. So would Steve Williams and Paul Davis.
KP You got any local football this weekend? Last trip with the young lads.
Norg
Loved all three but Brady was a one off and Davis was also gifted and such a sad loss.
KP-the reason I said Columbia, Missouri had nothing to do with anyone’s preferred NFL team, as sadly I’ve been a Browns fan since the Cardiac Kids of the 70s, so if your’s is made of glass, my house must be constructed of something considerably more penetrable, like maybe paper mache, it’s actually the birthplace of one Enos Stanley Kroenke…there was a similarly “styled” poster that I butted heads on another Arsenal blog, who presented himself as the supposed voice of reason, until covid hit, then he quickly emerged as a tin foil hat wearing Trump sympathizer with a penchant for racist rhetoric…I’m not suggested that the poster in question here is the same individual or even a full-blown carbon copy, but he does use some very similar phrases when on the offensive and employs the same divide and conquer techniques…Cheers
Tony-just to set the record straight, I’m not a big Sesko fan, which isn’t to say that I don’t think he could develop into a Striker of some note in the years to come…my concern with this particular player was that he appeared to be a cheaper option, who was a little too similar to our gangly giraffe…as such, I was worried that he would only be brought in as a backup, thus leaving Havertz as our primary Striker…not to mention, he was seen by some as a poor man’s Haaland, due in large part to the fact that he’s tall, was “discovered” by Salzburg, like his Norwegian counterpart, then likewise went to the Bundesliga shortly thereafter…in and of itself, this certainly isn’t the end of the world, except that it fits a settling narrative where MA seems to be always chasing Pep’s scraps or “lesser version” players and it likely doesn’t give us a viable Plan A or Plan B option that would provide us with a much-needed different kind of Striker option
no harm, no foul of course, as I do produce some lengthy posts at times, so I can see why one might misremember on occasion…have a good one
Tony-I have some similar concerns about Zirkzee, even though I do like what he’s accomplished at Bologna, as he’s been key cog in their unexpected rise in Serie A, considering that they’re typically a middling to lower half club…he to me is Jesus on steriods, as he plays a little deeper, with his back to goal, and has considerable link-up capabilities, but isn’t likely to score 20+ goals on a regular basis…I think he has more goals in his boots than our German tweener, if he was deployed a little differently, but I very much doubt MA would ever opt for a more Striker-centric tactical philosophy…with this in mind, he would likely be another Havertz backup option or, even worse, be shoehorned into a role that wouldn’t get the best out of him…just another potential rinse and repeat nightmare…it’s too bad though, in that if MA wasn’t married to Havertz, I could see this player really fitting in nicely with Saka and Marts, especially if we got another CAM and kept Rice in his rightful position
Guys, do you mind if I try some pop ups ads? The ads revenue is so poor that it don’t cover even the domain renewal, let alone the hosting costs.
Just asking, if you say NO, it will be a NO.