Crystal Palace v Arsenal – 3 points to grab

Cheers Marc for clarifying that. Your idea of transferring possession to the opposition makes good sense in those cases, akin to a foul throw. That’s a better way to reduce cynicism in the game AND ensure that the opposition gains in an appropriate way. The Palace crowd played their part too to good effect. As the crescendo of jeers rose, Coote reached for his yellow almost in fright. A bit like a cricket umpire faced with a vociferous lbw appeal. The second decision is alarming – wtf did he see that we didn’t through a range of cameras. And why didn’t /couldn’t VAR put him right?

Three welcome points against a team we should be beating, but Arsenal has reverted to looking like it did at the beginning if Arteta’s reign. Slow, turgid horseshoe shaped bollocks. That said, Rice is a magnificent and reassuring addition.

Let’s hope for a bit of flair and that chances will be taken against the cottagers.

Kroenke

You just know that things players are being booked for now won’t be applied to the same level in a few weeks.

Rice is looking like he’s going to be a very good acquisition still think he’d look even better in a double pivot with Partey allowing Ode to play a free role.

let’s face it, this was another underwhleming performance, both prior to and following the sending off…the nonsemsical shoehorning, the lack of directness, the all-too-famiiliar poor first touches and finishing by Eddie, the continued “passenger” status of Havertz, the lack of chances on target and the emabrassment that logically comes when one fields a team totally compromised of defensive players, minus one forward, in order to see off such a lightweight and undermanned Palace side etc…so even though I agree with the “softness” of Tomi’s dismissal and the fact that we ultimately left the park with all 3 points in hand, it should in no way excuse and/or justify what transpired between the lines yesterday

in fact, from what I witnessed yesterday, it appears as if we’re heading back down that sideways borefest road from a few years back…we have no real added width or overlapping help so Marts and Saka have to come deeper, which allows the opposition to better prepare for their respective approaches…we rely too heavily on our defenders and DMs for ball distribution, especially with Partey inverted on the right side, as that requires Ode to take up more advanced positions, and, minus when Rice provided Eddie with a silver platter pass, we failed to show any discernable directness…if this is our bus parking blueprint breaker, we could be in tough this year against the toilet bowl dwellers…now we have one more layup this weekend, so hopefully things look decidely better, but I’m certainly not holding my breath

as for our revamped plan A against the tougher sides, which according to MA includes bringing Gabs back into the starting fold, I’ll have to wait to see what’s on offer before making any assessment…the silver lining here is that there’s ample runway and everything that’s presently not working is likely correctable

TRVL
‘ “passenger” status of Havertz’
Steve Nichols on ESPN-FC said about the game “with 15 minutes to go I forgot he was still playing” that is how much of a passenger he is. On the positive side Havertz might just be the purchase that sees Arteta getting kicked out.

Killroy-good point, as we all know full-well that Havertz won’t be giving any monies back, unlike when Willian supposedly did

“Rice is looking like he’s going to be a very good acquisition still think he’d look even better in a double pivot with Partey allowing Ode to play a free role.”
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Marc, I can only go by written reports but Rice is receiving accolades from non agenda people.
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What did please me was that Partey, Neketia and Rice all could have received the MOTM plaudit. For an away game, that is a good indicator going forward.
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Upstate
I understand you not wanting to get into selection wrangles, but sadly, selections and in-game management are still 2 problem areas for Arteta. No need to revisit the Arteta serious negative trends when setting up or trying to change the outcome of a game.
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I’ve given up putting up teams because there is no point. Arteta should have solved all his selection faux pas after 4 years, but Timber proves that’s not the case.
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KP
I agree 3 points was the essential outcome for us even if we picked them from Palace’s back pocket to get them. Bolagun wants the Chavs where under Poch he will shine and Lakaku and Poch are not on speaking terms.
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TRVL & Killroy
I meant to pose this question yesterday but what are your eye test views on Havertz? The reviews aren’t very complimentary claiming much the same performances he had with the Chavs, and I’ve only seen one game this season and preseason so not really right for me to comment yet.
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Have a good one LIR

Tony-so far he’s a miscast passenger…now that could be more about the tactics than the player, but only time will tell…Cheers

TRVL – thanks we’ll see more on Saturday with some good games to watch.

Hibs v Villa is live on bbc Scotland for anyone who’s bored. A very entertaining game.

As soon as I posted that it turned into one way traffic! Still,plenty of goals and chances. Ollie Watkins is an odd one. Can look brilliant one week and awful the next. This is probably his level, just a notch below the elite(title chasers/champs lge challengers).

Hi Almunia
I wish I’d known about that, but having heard the result now glad I didn’t (if that’s not too metaphysical) . Shows the chasm between ingerlish and Scottish clubs these days. It was much tighter 30-40 years ago. You having a good summer?

Summer over now KP,back to work Monday. Weather was crap and health wasn’t great but I got to spend a huge amount of time with the family which was brilliant. This time of year is always strange,holidays ending but football and snooker retuning. All in all life is good though,I can’t complain. How are things your end? You good?

Visited yesterday in Bath the Bath Rugby Club grounds “The Recreational Grounds” or short “The Rec” closest I have come to a live Rugby game in the Premiership 😆 had brilliant weather though in Bath. The Friday 7:30pm game between All Blacks and Springboks in Twickenham should be a cracker. Don’t know about the AFC v Fullham on Saturday, the club is in desperate need of a coach/manager.

Morning all
I don’t normally get into TWs, but with 7 days to go, I was wondering if any of you out there had thoughts on who is going to leave and who will refuse to leave. There is talk of Pepe’s contract being bought out and click bait abounds daily.
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Bolagun to the Chavs? He looks like he wants that move, but it’s Monaco that’s bidding. Lokonga has a suitor it’s reported, and Partey’s unexpected rise in form with Rice in the new system suggests he’ll be staying.
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Eddie is working hard at a starting place, but as good as he is, I question if he can call the 9 shirt his own. Can he deliver 20 goals and 10 assists a season, which is what we need to challenge? KT is another, but selling him after losing Timber and the possibility of more injuries during the run in, KT should be kept imho.
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I’m only looking at the names that can help us challenge this season, not the peripheral players (Tavares) and Hale Enders still learning their trade.
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So, who do we need?
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A 9 and a LB is my thinking, but with such a busy year I haven’t paid my usual attention to the start of this season. Just busy and game times not helping, my love of The Arsenal remains the same. My point? I got nothing for incoming names we need.
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Any thoughts?
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What of our Hale Enders? Who should be getting minutes this season with all the cups especially. Defenders I read Norton Cuffy and Walters are potentially ready to get minutes.
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I’ve not read anything promising for any midfielders to step up, but Crozier – Dewberry or John Jules up top may happen if their training looks good for our system. Patino is out on loan, so one to watch. I really feel for the Hale Enders and the way Arteta sees them. Emery was far different. Even Wenger tried unsuccessfully I might add.
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With ESR in particular struggling for minutes and Vieira a bit part player the optics for our young hopefuls look grim rather than hopeful. ESR will have to wait to dislodge a current misfit Havertz. Should he be our starting 9 for the season? Problem is he looks too lightweight for a 9 to me, but looks can be deceiving if the mental attitude is right. If Havertz had Jesus’s gung-ho attitude in roughing up the CBs, I’d say give it a try. Havertz looks an Ozil clone, in as much as, he doesn’t appear to like the physicality of the game where the young Chavs 9; Jackson revels in it.
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Wrighty, Anelka, Bergkamp, Alan Smith (Smudger), Henry, RVP, John Radford, Malcolm Macdonald and George Graham all off the top of my head all had fight in them where defenders hated playing against them. Ditto with Drogba the perfect scoring machine if you just look at him as a striker.
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Smudger wasn’t all brim and firestone, but he was strong on the ball, had great vision and scored for fun. I don’t think he was ever booked, either but was a fighter, and grifter and unselfish striker.
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7 days to go to make this TW a good one and enough to challenge City who just bought Doku who I assume the 21 year old is the Mahrez replacement. All very simple and no fuss unlike our signings.
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So?

Who are your ins and outs?
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Who should be promoted from Hale Enders to the bench?
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Do we need a 9 if so, who do you fancy?
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Do we need a LB? Any suggestions
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Have a good one LIR

Hi Tony
This is going to sound like maximun cynicism but after all that money spent, Arteta really needs to deliver with what he’s got. So no more money for signings this TW (unless the next few days herald a massive and profitable clear out). He’s always going to be pleading that there are gaps in the squad in order to keep his job and leave fans on tenterhooks. The apprenticeship should’ve finished 2-3 years ago and he needs to deliver with what he’s got. No more ‘phase this’ or ‘stage that’. If he can’t get a tune out of this team with all the talent available, fuck him and get a proper manager. ‘Jam tomorrow’ was a constant refrain for the past 19 years or so. Well that time has arrived so he needs to come up with the trophies. He’s already been complicit in wrecking Timber’s season so there’s no sympathy. And if Barca or RM ever came-a-knocking, I suspect he’d jump ship in a thrice.

Hi Almunia
My summer has been a bit crap to be honest. Ms K’s mum died in May and we were both pretty fond of her. The rest of it has been spent on interminable admin to do with her estate and some typical internecine tension caused by other greedy bastards in her family. Plus, with the kids now 18 and 16 (x2) we’re almost on the cusp of having fewer parental responsibilities which remains just out of grasp at the moment. It was ever thus. Sorry to hear about your health – take care of yourself mate.

Tony
I get a warm feeling every time i read a mention of Alan Smith. Thanks for that. He’d control anything played up to him, great passing and link up, good with his head and a hugely intelligent player. Underrated by everyone, including among many Arsenal fans.

Kroenke

Really? Thinking a manager should be able to compete having spent a pitiful six hundred and fifty odd million as well as inheriting Saka, Martinelli, Gabriel, Tierney, Nketiah and Smith Roe etc etc is ridiculous.

Think is time you laid off the sauce.

Marc
And who said irony was dead? You’re going on Saturday I assume. I hope things are a little easier in terms of getting to them all now we’ll mainly be back on a Saturday schedule. I wonder how long it will take for the peseta to drop with Arteta that Partey and Rice should be cdntral. You just know he’s going to persist with the idea til it’s fully exposed. All it’ll take is a skilled and quick left sided winger. Mitoma/Diaz/Rashford… Take your pick.

Getting back to football – at a packed King Power last week – was like being a junkie getting a hit of the good stuff.

I think we’ll have too much for a mitro-less Fulham.

Kroenke

Can’t make this week actually. I have a bad feeling we might be looking at selling Gabriel and Arteta’s formation is already taking that into account. He’ll carry on as always until we lose a match and then he’ll throw all the pieces in the air and come up with something new.

As much as I disagree with the idea of selling Gabriel I think it would do us severe damage and start the end of Arteta so would be worth it in the short term.

KP,
I’m very sorry to hear that,my condolences to you and your wife. The mother in law gets bad press but pretty indispensable all the same. Loved the way they dealt with that on the Royle family when nana dies.
I’m not there yet with my kids ,they’re a bit younger than yours, but I understand where you are,have been teaching teenagers all my life,challenging in all the best and worst ways. Parenting them is another level again. I’ve no doubt you’re doing a stellar job,I’ve simplified it down to time spent with them. The more the better. And I’m lucky because of the hols I get. From reading your posts over the years it sounds to me like you’ve done the hard yards.
You too Tony,easy to know you and your kids are very close,fair play. The big question is if they’ll ever forgive us for infecting them with a love of Arsenal!
As for Fulham,Arteta and the transfer window I’ve kinda taken a back seat and decided to let it all play out. I’ll make up my mind then about the squad but my opinion of Arteta has not changed. As for Fulham,well,they’re not very good are they. I think it’s time for some assessment of this idea that the premiership is exceptionally competitive. It might be compared to other leagues,but compared to previous decades? No way. But that’s for another day! Heading off for the day,hope everyone on LIR has a good one.

Mb, I’ve seen Mumbai City are facing Al Hilal in the Asian Champs League West Section.

Do you think it’s possible matches like this will raise the profile of other teams and leagues in Asia? From memory, there’s two or three Saudi teams, some Iranians and a couple of Uzbek teams.

Neymar coming to Mumbai is sure to be a big deal. Getting out the group and having games with Benzema or C Ronaldo would also surely be big draws. Do you have any idea how competitive Mumbai City are likely to be? I assume the smart money is on Hilal topping the group with the other three trying to nab 2nd but in truth, I don’t have much of an insight on Asian football and wouldn’t have paid much attention if not for Indian acquaintances flagging it up. They seem excited.

Tony, thanks for reminding me about Tyrece John Jules. I’d forgotten about him with his various loans, out of sight and all that.
I’d watched him a few times with the youths, over the years. He was usually one of the more eye-catching players along with the likes of Saka, Hutchison and ESR.
He’s flirted with the first team and repped England at all levels up to u21. Perhaps this season he’ll get some time somewhere in the cups or even easier CL games but I think it’s going to be a big task for him to get any meaningful minutes. He might be another Robbie Burton.

His family are no slouches, one of his uncles is Cat from Red Dwarf and another a respected barrister on the London circuit.

Tony—in regards to Balo, unless the proposed Chelsea fee is considerably larger, and I mean considerably, I would much rather he plied his trade abroad…based on recent history, we’ve sadly become Chelsea’s trash bin, pre-Arabia of course, so if they’re sniffing around it might be prudent on our part to either keep him and offload Eddie, if that’s even a possibility considering the ridiculous wage he’s been gifted, or get him the f*** out of our backyard

btw it’s not surprising whatsoever that we’re in this predicament, as I was convinced he would never find his way here so long as Arteta ruled the roost due to the acrimonious nature of his last re-upping…Arteta has proven himself to be an incredibly vindictive man, as we’ve witnessed on numerous occasions, so even though on his first real loan spell he lit it up, he likely would have needed to pot 40 to change MA’s mind, and only then because a large contingent of the fanbase would have gone full Saliba on his a**

as for any further signings, I kind of agree with KP sentiments, in that unless we make some serious coin with some outgoing periphery pieces, MA should have to prove his worth with whomever is presently rostered…if that means embedding some academy pieces or not selling Nuno and keeping him for LB cover, so be it; in fact, I sort of think he could provide some much-needed width…what I don’t want to see is MA conducting a firesale with some player’s of higher value simply so he can go bargain shopping in the 11th hour…Cheers

Marc-according to MA, Gab’s recent 2 game benching had nothing to do with interest from the Suadi’s or Real, but simply part of his ingenious plan to save him for the tougher sides, when we wouldn’t be using inverted backs on both sides of the pitch…of course, I very much doubt that he would pass a polygraph on the matter, so I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens between now and the closing of the window

Almunia

Cheers man. Brighter days are on the horizon. And thanks for the kind words about parenting which is THE hardest thing I’ve ever faced (and that includes being in New Orleans in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina). The twins got their GCSE results today (your equivalent of the junior certificate? ) and they’re thrilled. So are we, so a major milestone passed. One has chosen English for A level so I’m looking forward to revisiting FR Leavis if she gives me the chance!

I see Biereth (on loan to Motherwell) has also picked up a serious injury. I think our future lies in the many talented kids in our youth system, all of whom appear to have double-barrelled names. I should have done the right thing by junior and called him Michael Kroenke-Phobe.

What do we all think is a good fee for Flo Balogun – 50 million plus? Monaco seem interested and given that they’ve played hard ball with us in the past, I’d like to see them pay top dollar and give us a buy back option.

KP-I would be incredibly surprised if we got anywhere near 50 for Balo, as everyone knows we’ve been poor when it comes to selling assets, so why would anyone pay top dollar…furthermore, some will naturally undervalue his numbers from last year, considering it took place in Ligue 1, and it certainly doesn’t help that we’ve been sniffing around for another Striking option yet we appear to have no interest in giving him minutes…Monaco might have been our best bet, as they know first-hand what he could bring domestically, but they would never pony up that kind of coin…I read today that the Hammers might be a possible landing spot, but I just can’t imagine that going smoothly in light of the Rice transfer nonsense…I’m more than a little worried about how so many seemingly obvious outgoings have been left so late, especially knowing our sloth-like tendencies when it comes to getting deals over the line…as per usual, we’re a bit of a messy bitch

£50 million for Balo is a pipe dream – if we got £30 odd million I’d be surprised.

Read this on Football 365 and find it spot on and if the papers get it then the opposition managers will definitely be on top of it.
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“Have Arsenal been found out?
Two wins in two. But unconvincing in both. And in both games holding on for dear life for different reasons in the last 30 minutes. I’m an Arsenal fan but I’m finding watching them to be very predictable and I’m starting to think that they’ve simply been found out.
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They play the same type of keep ball in the middle of the park, then get it on the wings to either Saka or Martinelli, from those positions what do they do? Either pass it back or try to beat a man and cross the ball, or pass the ball back. And without an out and out attacker, they can’t really go direct and they can’t really cross the ball high. I do like Nketiah but he is not at the elite Premier League stage just yet and is too wasteful with chances.
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If you can stop Arsenal attacking directly down the middle then that’s half the work done. Let the wing players have the ball, let them run on the wings, just stop the central players getting involved. And that’s it. I think they’ll struggle to finish second this season with both Newcastle and Liverpool looking strong.”
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There you have it Gents a very reasonable and believable prediction for the season ahead and it doesn’t look good. Best news would be Arteta is gone and we get a proper manager that doesn’t set up game play that has been found out by the opposition.

Morning all
Some really interesting posts and thinking as to our current TW plight where the DM, sorry sometimes they are informative to a level we want to process, have this to report.
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“Arsenal are prepared to sell NINE surplus players to raise funds for Mikel Arteta with a £72m flop, an academy starlet valued at £40m and a regular in defence last season all potentially on their way out before the deadline”

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-12441021/Arsenal-prepared-sell-NINE-surplus-players-raise-funds-Mikel-Arteta-72m-flop-academy-starlet-valued-50m-regular-defence-season-potentially-way-deadline.html

Obviously, not new news to us and looks like Marc was right about LCB Gabriel. Reasonable enough article.

Aitcho
It was fun writing that post and remembering the names and snippets of vivid memories seemingly in Super 8 film, and old TV pictures. Thanks for the info on John Jules’ family he should be set for good advice. What little I’ve seen of him from here, he’s looked one for the future and being from there ESL and Saka stable. I hope he gets minutes so we can gauge him more.
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TRVL
Totally agree with all your points and I’d prefer Bolagun to Monaco. You knew it as you were writing the words: “I don’t want to see a firesafe”, TRVL, it would happen, didn’t you?
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I don’t know what part of the spectrum Arteta occupies, but that is some serious bat-shit crazy going on between his blocked ears, which means the shit has to come out of his mouth unfortunately. – he never listens, only to himself.
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As far as I’m concerned Rice will be a star for us if his trajectory continues from the Palace game, Havertz could well turn into an Ozil and not fit our system. Timber, cut down in his prime, will be back and hopefully like Overmars after his ACL, because I’d say he came back better, stronger and with his typical feisty edge for a short player.
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Fire sale it is then. “Well who’ll give me £30m (mumbling figures) ……£49 more and I’ll…….£54 over there……. sold to number 139 at the back! And now, ladies and gentlemen, we have a player with such nice calves any respecting PL manager would want in his side. Knows how to say fcuk off ref, in 5 languages but can only add you cnut in 3. 🙂 Time on his side to learn more, though and is excellent doing his “down on his knees praying with shaking genuflecting hands to Arteta, that Mikel teaches all the Hale Enders and benched subs.
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The starting eleven get knee pads for the cute kneeling to receive their coveted shirts pre game.
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“All hail Arteta. Can I get an hallelujah for Arteta”, Stuivenberg cries loudly in the dressing room. Arteta will look on fondly at his boys dreaming of the statue that will be demonstrably bigger than Wengers’. All yours Almunia.
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Almunia
Thanks for the kind words and sorry to hear you had health issues during the summer. Hope you’re free of them now. Teaching teenagers has to take you to some pretty amazing and gut reaching places. Your posts remind me of my very old then maths teacher at our comprehensive school: Mr Platt with spittle in the cracks of his moth he would set his maths to bombing raids from his Lancaster pilot WWII bombing raids. When he taught everyone listened being enthralled. Not the old bit Almunia, the last bit.
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Starting out in orphanages taught me so much, but sadly my adoptive years were incredibly difficult, too. So much so, that I never wanted to have children, mainly because I hadn’t been taught to be a father, and I was an only child with my mother in and out of hospital until she died.
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A life with a dad who didn’t want me. Just made me driven to have better in my life. I don’t mean to brag, not even humbly, but I’m very wealthy now, and have an incredible life barring my 2 remaining coronary arteries (there should be 3) being shored open by 5 wire baskets. What could possibly go wrong. 🙂
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My point is to any readers here that you can make a difference in your lives. It might not look like it when you look first around, it didn’t for me. You make you luck a little at a time and you will begin to see small shards of bright light at the end of the tunnel, as small life events start to show smallpositive results. Hold onto those and keep adding, and you will get there.
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I did and I’ve met many like me. Just one example I looked up to; Waldo Emerson, I was told, went bankrupt 14 times before he made his first $m, leaving school at 14 with very little to no education. Life is what you make it and a game that the better you learn, the better life will be, as you make better life decisions. I’m no Tony Robbins, because the secrets to success and a happy life are as simple as keeping positive about life and learning from setbacks- something Arteta simply doesn’t do.
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When I met Mrs. T she had adopted her niece at 6 months (it’s a Chinese-Thai cultural thing) I instantly had a daughter. It was a big move up from my German Shepherds. That made the conversation much easier of adding Junior to make a family, and I was all in. No pun intended.
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From then on I realised what family was all about and the rest is history here anyways. Now I savor every day knowing how lucky I am to have real family values and love and mostly laughter in the house. Family? Best thing in the world my friend. 🙂 Hope my movie ideas, I posted for you, pan out.
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KP
Congrats for the twins’ GCE results; I’m seriously happy for you all. A levels next? Then Uni?
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I read recently that UK under grads are struggling to find work because they been found out that the party animal, uni student isn’t as smart or hungry, as a college diploma applicant or just someone who can’t afford uni. Some simply want to start their careers early because they have the nous. Then, of course, there are the migrants who will need work.
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In Thailand, you have to have a BA to work in the shops in the malls. Some ask for masters; incredulous I know.
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Rant over and back to the footy.
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Bolagun is worth about £30 to £35m, as Marc suggested. Similar age and timing than with Saliba when Saliba was worth that much. Saliba is a phenom. It’s the only reason Arteta had to grit his teeth to keep him. TRVL aptly describes Arteta’s nasty and vindictive side. He who must be obeyed. Arteta always wanting more new toys and Daddy Stan teaching A&E TW economics.
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Kilroy
Watching the Forest game I said to Junior it looks like Steve Cooper has sussed Arteta out at times; Forest just couldn’t keep to their game plan. Reading your post ratifies my thinking to align with yours and Arsenal 365. Unfortunately, I couldn’t see the Palace game so couldn’t appraise the thinking more. The Fulham game should be more settled as the team, and we can better see what Arteta is trying to do.
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If you read, Clive Woodward, England’s last winner of the rugby WC, you’ll see he’s far than happy with England’s preparations, which is why I see us as having no chance. If England go back to a huge pack driven game, we’ll likely get the wooden spoon. Today’s forwards are scary quick with less bulk overall. There will always be a few huge lumps in the pack with height and weight, and even they are very mobile.
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It’s going to be a great world cup, but I’ll miss much because of the game times. Southern Hemisphere WCs are better for me.
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Seems my ramblings went on longer than I expected. Have a good one LIR 🙂

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvRNRiA_h34

I forgot the song for today: Dr Feelgood. Down to the Doctors.

Gypy Mayo was a good friend back in the day but I never worked with the Feelgoods. After the Feelgood he went on to the Yardbirds.
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RIP Gypie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKQincbiLLE – Enjoy.

A quiet and thoughtful man and excellent guitar player and person to know.