I think the outcome of City’s game against L’pool is going to galvanize us further: win or lose. Win and we have to win! Lose and we want the points gap to widen (City looks to be winning this one comfortably). Obviously, Xhaka is always a concern particularly against mobile opposition. I’d start Partey on the bench, as without him at Anfield is not worth contemplating. I imagine Arteta will go with a 433, but I’d prefer a 352 to keep winning the lost ball retention in the middle of the park. I think the 352 suits our available players better ands shores up our midfield.
Leeds have their 3 top players out, so moving the ball with one and two touch football to the final third is essential. Leeds like to play frantic or chaotic football when they get the time and room. Flooding the midfield makes that type of pacey football very difficult for Leeds to navigate.
Our lads will be up for it as the countdown to the Wolves’ game commences again today. Beat Leeds today and we’ll be 8 points clear again today. We need to be at our best at defending in their final third and if we can’t rob the ball there, then upset the Leeds balance enough to be dispossessed in mid field.
Partey looks fit and injury free with him not playing in Ghana’s last game. However, I’d still play him from the bench if need be. Obviously, Tomi, Elneny and Eddie are short with Tomi out for the season. I’d like to see some invention from Arteta for the Leeds game:
Ramsdale
Holding Gabs KT
White Kiwior Jorginho Trossard Zinchenko
Saka & Martinelli
Apart from KT, all our players are playing their preferred positions with Kiwior dropping to 6. KT is the fastest defender in the league, so should keep the high line in tact. Kiwior is no slouch either and can keep Jorginho covered.
I don’t see a Leeds Midfield being more pacey or as technical as the five we would be putting out whether attacking or defensively. Gabs is a powerhouse at the back in the air and Holdinho generally is good aerially and defending if pace isn’t used against him. Kiwior will be a good sweeper in front of the back three. Jorginho can do what he does best and be the midfield general using his experience over his lack of pace with a minder looking after him.
This is what I think we’ll see:
Ramsdale
White Holding Gabs Zinchenko
Ode Jorginho Xhaka
Saka Jesus Martinelli
Xhaka walk about free role the opposition doesn’t care about. Zinchenko inverting and Jorginho getting caught out being speed challenged with Xhaka. Arteta’s main hope is our front three finding the net several times. Leeds are likely to win the MF battles more with this tactical set up giving our defense too much work to do and I’d see a silly goal against at some stage.
Saliba is the biggest concern. It’s too risky to play him against Leeds, but should be saved for the City, BHA and Pool games. Partey is probably ok for today, but again Arteta should manage Partey’s involvements in all the remaining games to keep him as fit as possible by reducing Partey’s minutes per game.
I’ll predict 3:0 if we play 353 or 3:2 if we play our rigid system with keep players missing.
See you at the game.
TRVL – Music is my passion other than family and Arsenal. For some people it’s cars, other boats or planes we all have our loves in life. I like to offer knowledge and products that have a range to fit all budgets. I’m always looking to learn, and have from you many times.
I apologize if I come across over zealous with all things music. You’ve set me on the trail of new music with your sound choices. I didn’t know about half. Now, I’ll poke around in those genres and I’m sure I’ll find some gems to add to the collection.
Back to the game and onto our trip to Anfield. We have to learn to switch on quicker from the off as we did in the 2nd half. I’m just going to have to give in re Xhaka: he’s at fault for their goal, but gets one back. The only benefit City can take from our games was that their win was far more comfortable where we looked a bit ragged at times.
minus the inexplicable spell around the close of the window, I’ve never seen us play so many relatively “easy” fixtures, especially in the second-half of games…of course, this isn’t to suggested that we haven’t performed well for considerable stretches, but it just feels like we’ve played in a dozen or so matches this season where the opposition came out of half with the white flag firmly affixed in their respective hands…not complaining whatsoever, as you can only play those in front of you on any given day, but it might explain why I’ve been so nervous in recent months, as I’m dreading the notion of this fortuitous narrative coming to an unceremonious end…such is life in North London since our footballing cup went from half full to half empty some two decades ago…Cheers
No need for apologies, I’m all ears and loving it…I would be very surprised if you didn’t find something to your liking amongst my musical offerings, especially knowing our similar extracurricular activities (wink, wink)…have a good one
If Arteta takes the best from the Leeds game to be the worst level for us at Anfield then we we’ll get points.
I can’t see L’pool improving dramatically from today’s performance. Let’s hope I’m not tempting fate.
Watching Villa v Todd’s Chumps and Micky Mudflaps is having the game that I was hoping for being a total flop at 90mill. He had two sitter chances and fluffed them both with Emi coming out on top. Great not to spend that kind of money on someone that is dismal.
Nice to see Villa 1:0 Chumps and Chumps at Halftime in the bottom half of the table. Poetic justice for Todd’s Chumps.
Kilroy, Junior has just sent a text to his Chav’s supporting mate and said we should thank father Ted for saving us the money with Mickey Mudflaps.
Yep, Todd Chump is providing cringe worthy entertainment with a possible fight for manager in the summer as well as I will watch the player culling in the summer. Just to think unless Mickey Mudflaps develops into a first rank player Todd is stuck with him for 8+ years, you couldn’t make up this amateur shit.
Todd’s Chumps down 2:0 oh what a beautiful weekend.
this Chelsea side reminds me quite a bit of our possession-based, sideways passing, no end product earlier MA days…with Kovacic and Loftus-Cheek as regular starters and no real presence up top, it’s hardly surprising that they’ve struggled for goals…I must say though this game might have been different if it weren’t for the weak-ass pushing call against Chillwell at the end of the first half…regardless, it’s hard to imagine a future with Potter at the helm, unless they finish the season with a handful or so of decisive matches, which seems incredibly unlikely
Oh Yeah, Chavs in 11th and we are 8 points ahead of City, now to complete my wishes for the weekend Newcastle to win or to tie Utd. Keep the 2nd half form for the weekend at Anfield and we are all good.
To have the game wrapped up at around 60 was unusual.
The guy next to me asked what we’d do for the rest of the game as it appeared all parties seemed content with the 3-0. We were farting around a bit and Leeds looked bored. Their goal sparked us back up again
Can’t muck about, Granit has his own song, 7 goals, at some stage, like I’ve done with Arteta, I have to just sit down and leave it to those who know better.
Same as with Trossard. He may well have been plan B but at least there was a plan B and one that’s the best Jan deal this season. He’s delivering. As for plan A, we dodged a real shit bullet there.
My fave moment was bringing on Saka. We’re a serious team that can keep the best player on the bench and bring him on for a run out when the game’s done.
Good to see that Rocky still is still warmly remembered. I’ve said before, this team gives me late 80s vibes, a bunch of young tyros shaking up the order of things with Rocky an integral part of that.
East Stand chipped up with short a “we’re the East Stand”, I don’t recall having heard them sing that since Highbury. It’s mad to think that there wasn’t a North Bank as such when the stadium first opened. I used to find that disorientating.
On the ESPN-FC show the pundits all laud the shrewd business done for Trossard. When he was first signed they all went like “decent player to bring on when you want to rest someone”. Now they are like “who do Arsenal rest because Arteta wants him on. He is a talented player and most likely his issue with BHA was because he wanted to be at a club that fights for trophies since he has self confidence of being a good enough player that belongs somewhere else..
Having said this too many times since it seems that every game now is a HUGE game. If we win at Anfield on Sunday then the only others that I fear is at City and Newcastle because the 4 home games at the Emirates should be winnable.
Lets hope that the CL & FA Cup games will throw a spanner into City’s team selection when we play them.
Morning all
Aitcho- I’m with you on the Xhaka front while defenders are too busy to monitor Xhaka and continue to deem Xhaka irrelevant even when in their box, he is very much punching above his weight this season. I seriously hope he doesn’t play against City and L’pool.
Kilroy – I was really happy we brought Trossard because junior and I have watched a lot of Brighton really liked Mitoma & Trossard. I likened Trossard to our Santi and what a buy he’s turned out to be. Could you imagine if we could have bought Mitoma at the same time. The kid is a goal and assist machine and only cost £8m I believe.
Ode was immense again yesterday. His vision off the ball is remarkable while his 8/10 play going forward is peak Barca midfield at times when at his best: Xavi or Iniesta; take your pick? But then, I’ve been an Ode ultra since first seeing him around 17. Santi Trossard is developing a good understanding with Ode that can only mean many more goals in the future.
If Gallagher is one of the Chav’s cast offs this summer, he’d be Xhaka’s perfect replacement. Add Rice and Mitoma and we are good to defend our Title should Arteta steer us to the league winner’s trophy. A young pacy RB would be very helpful and I’d keep KT for our first assault for the CL cup. Why sell the fastest defender in the PL?
Xhaka should move on in the summer for his own career and to let ESR or Vieira or who comes in. Xhaka should leave us on a high on the back of a season where he delivered because of myopic defending by our opponents.
Does Xhaka have a stealth cloak? He’d make a good Vampire only we and the cameras can see him. Maybe he’s too slow to be registered by defenders at full flight or his statuesque moments confusing to those around him including Martinelli and Trossard looking for quick movement with Xhaka lmfao; who knows and who cares if he continues to score goals. Does it matter with his passes to the keeper when he’s through one on one then falling to the ground hysterically laughing- not one bit if we have at least a 2-goal cushion.
Once Xhaka gets over 3mph, his legs go all Bambi-on-ice like. It’s similar when he tackles, I’m convinced he has involuntary leg and arm movements, as he kick lumps out of opponents or shoves them to the ground and then kicks them, and then honestly believes he didn’t cause the gash needing 18 stitches or any such foul. With Xhaka not tackling it virtually guarantees no yellows or red cards for the Swiss-Army-Knife player.
I mean look at the Leeds’ goal and Xhaka’s leg movement only; no nimble body turn to cover the ball or player. No, a sort of Hokey Coney, left leg out kind of movement that looks as natural as Mr Bean trying to move sideways quickly on roller blades.
Look the Swiss cnut is probably going to score the goal that wins us the league where there will be a fcuking statue next to Henrys’ before the start of next season. Wenger will be apoplectic, but he signed Xhaka, so poetic justice I say.
Ah well, Xhaka is going to go down in folk lore here as the most Marmite player to play for us and as the player who brought comedy central to The Arsenal.
Have a good lazy Sunday 🙂
Apparently, White didn’t finish the warm up yesterday, but played through the pain barrier. Undoubtedly, White was the wrong purchase at the time, but he has worked hard and warranted his place in our defensive back line.
He might not like watching the beautiful game, but he plays it well enough and continues to improve. That’s enough for me. 🙂
We’re not rated, but Manure’s hot dogs shows what the club thinks of them. 🙂
Best food is from the lower leagues I’m sure you’ll attest to, KP?
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-11920303/Man-United-Brighton-Thackley-Best-worst-football-stadium-food.html
Quiz question: Which Arsenal team beat Spurs, Bayern Munich and Man City all in one week? The Arsenal women’s team. A 2-1 come from behind win today.
Nice one Tony.
As a general rule of thumb I’d say you were right. It’s certainly the case that the prices improve as you drop down the leagues. Last year I told junior before we went to Preston that he and his mates had to try the catering in the ground as a condition to my driving them hundreds of miles. They have a speciality – if you can call it that – which is a pie containing potato and butter. They toddled off at halftime and didn’t cone back until 10 minutes after the second half had started by which time Cardiff had equalised. Silly buggers.
I think the catering tends to be better at stadia in areas where there is more diversity. That green thing in the article that won was scary. It looked like something one would produce after a bout of bronchitis.
I bet you miss british food Tony and Ambarish!
Brilliantly said, KP. I really do miss English food although there are UK food online specialists that you can get the ingredients to cook something UK based. I miss the UK version Chinese and especially ruby murries.
Bangkok you can get some decent English and just about most countries’ food that have to be good or go bust quickly. My daughter said she’ll come to France with Khun Yai (grandma) to open an authentic Thai restaurant. Thankfully grandma lives next door and can really cook as she had a restaurant here for 30 odd years. Chaing Mai also offers some cool food where my wife’s best friend is a F&B director of a big exclusive hotel there.
One caveat is Greek food. Having worked there for a year, I’ve never found a really authentic restaurant outside of Greece. Italian, French, Spanish et al, sure, but not Greek.
Do you remember when there were Greek restaurants all over North London? Camden, Kentish Town, Belsize Park, Hampstead and as far east as Hackney, Stoke Newington and Green Lanes. I think there followed a diaspora and the Turks moved in in their place (bringing their own wonderful restaurants). I reckon there are very few Greek restaurants in London now. Kalinikta mate.
Meze, Stifado, Moussaka and those wicked fresh salads. Followed by retsina and ouzo and a bit of crockery smashing!
So there I was having a good day – we won yesterday, the suns shining, just watched a very entertaining F1 race, looking forward to watching the Newcastle v ManU game with a huge pot of Coq au Vin marinating since yesterday for dinner and then it happened.
Sky announced that Brendon Rogers has left Leicester – surely he’s got to end up at the Spud’s?
If that happens there’s a good chance I’ll laugh so much I’ll have to change my underwear!
Salivating now.
West Ham are very poor with Southampton worse. Rice looks average in a poor side.
Do you remember Walcott’s nickname Wally Something related to a coffee machine he won?
He’s still the cul de sac king.
On the subject of food in the stadium – its awful and that Camden Hells beer is fucking undrinkable.
For more or less the same price you can grab a pint in the Tolly and something off their matchday menu – Thai Green Curry (A mate swears by it), Chicken Stir Fry (my personal go to), decent burger & chips etc.
They also do a wider Thai menu which I haven’t got round to trying but the food looks pretty good. There used to be a Thai restaurant on Holloway road that was really pleasant as well but I don’t know if its still there.
Well that was like watching paint dry watching the Hammers game. As uninspiring as Moyes looks on the touchline. I don’t see West Ham as a serious threat to derail our hold on the Title.
Tony-big ups to you for even attempting to come to grips with our Swiss miss enigma…one can only hope that at some future date the “real” circumstances surrounding his peculiarly untouchable run at our club will be revealed, although I highly doubt it…the only real consolation is that if he continues to pot a few of the seemingly endless amount of sliver-plattered opportunities, it just might help us win the title, which would be a lovely parting gift for all involved
as for this Hammer/Hampton affair, the first 70 or so was right up there with watching paint dry or reading the footnotes of a governmental document…only Moyes would play an aging Ings on his own up top, as everyone and their brother knows that his best performances have typically come when he was deployed with a partner…then again it could be worse, you could be relying on Walcott to help you secure a point or 3…this match is a perfect example of why we can’t look our gift horse season in the mouth, as there’s a lot of layups and unsettled “big” clubs currently in the PL
Marc-If you’re ever in a decent eatery and Massaman Curry is on the menu, I strongly suggest you try it. My wife’s mother makes it when we have guests here and cooks it overnight.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massaman_curry
It’s unlike the traditional Thai Green and Red curries with a very light sweet taste with the many spices infused. No spice over powers the other if cooked well.
KP-That’s not forgetting the Giros and souvlaki with Greek tomato salads with fresh caught calamari spiced delicately that melts in your mouth.
The move to Europe will allow us to be able live outside the house, especially in the evenings where Thailand is too hot for 9 to 10 months a year depending what part you live in.
Hoping to see Newcastle rip Manure a new one.
I must admit I have mixed feelings about this United/Newcastle matchup…my heart obviously leans towards a soul-crushing Newcastle victory, but my head suggests that a United win actually serves our purposes more…ever since the Pool masacre, United were functionally no longer a threat to our title aspirations, but in the grand scheme of things I think a thinning of the PL herd actually helps our cause moving forward…having a more viable United on the scene requires us to remain firmly on our acquisitional toes come the summer, which will hopefully curtail our all-too-familiar tendencies to settle
regardless of what may transpire when new ownership emerges at Old Trafford, the chances of another Fergie-like run reoccurring are slim to none…that said, their mere presence in the race is a far greater motivating force than that of an oil-rich Newcastle, especially under Howe’s tutelage, or a very watchable BHA, who will undoubtedly remain a selling club for obvious reasons…in the end, our organizational pursuits should be rather straightforward, create a squad who can compete with the best and the brightest on our own merits and I truly believe this is more obtainable goal if United is nipping at our heels
Newcastle should be 2 up by half time with Manure being kept on the back foot. Hope not the case of missed chances for Newcastle. Eddie Howe has to be applauded for his work with the Geordies in short time.
Will be probably the hardest test for us after City and maybe L’pool.
TRVL- Manure will probably nick a result as seems to be their way when De Gea is displaying his best irrepressible form. Will be a travesty, which is not uncommon in football.
Tony-that certainly wouldn’t surprise me either, even though they’ve been outplayed thus far…I certainly have nothing but disdain for the boys in red and white, but I so relish the notion of us raising the crown against a field of well-known in-form combatants
Get in Willock!
Remind me why we sold Willock.
can’t help but think what Willock would look like on our present squad instead of you know who
Got to love football Newcastle 2:0
I really thought that having won the League Cup ManU would use it as a springboard to push on and have a strong close to the season.
Their PL results since winning it: Absolutely spanked by Liverpool, drawing at home to Southampton and now 2 nil down to Newcastle with a few minutes left.
I couldn’t be happier, Marc. 🙂
Laughing at the Xhaka redemption arc.
If he scores the goal that wins the league, we’ll be derided as revisionists. Sitting there in the corner explaining to anyone who’ll listen how bad the first 7 years really were. An Andy Linighan for the future generations.
United are definitely starting to feel just how difficult life can be when you don’t get scoring from the Striker position…I have no problem with Weghorst being a late-game, change of tactics bench option, but he’s not the kind of player you can depend on to lead the line as an everyday starter…good on Newcastle for not only winning the match, but not settling for a 1-0 scoreline…Howe could have easily gone into park the bus mode, considering that they’ve struggled at times to create separation, but thankfully he resisted that temptation on this night…the battle for the final two CL invitations could be rather epic