It’s the Derby Day!

Norg-I applaud you for your very commonsensical commentary on our long-legged friend…unike yourself, I’m far more of a bull in a china shop than a Sunday brunch type of poster, but I do enjoy when someone can get a similar point across without burning the whole place down…as for IG, I too fell victim to the original narative surrounding Kroenke’s American envoy, but as more facts came to light, my thoughts on the matter significantly changed…from a fan’s perspective, it’s too bad that IG’s presence actually made Wenger even more insufferable, after all, more than anything else, Arsene needed a Dein-type collaborator during his latter days reign…Cheers

just so there’s no confusion, by long-legged friend I meant Havertz not Wenger…take care

KP
Loved the Proclaimers and those with street wise, lyrical excellence.

Norg
I do the same in BKK. I saw my first Rice shirt worn by a Thai on the back of a a motorbike taxi; the only way to travel in BKK quickly. Good to have you back and hope your trip was fun and eventful for the right reasons.

I echo your Havertz thinking with his frailty where I also don’t like his always wanting to con the ref crumbling with the merest touch. I know it’s part of the game, but I prefer we keep it real and cut diving from the game. Did you get to see the game live? I have a local pirate app that can be used worldwide where you buy your viewing time in packages from 7/11 I know go figure.

Then there is this little nugget for a small fee per month: https://iptv-global4k.com

As long as you have a decent Internet signal you’ll never miss game.

Aitcho
Thanks for your insight with Ivan G. I was never quite sure what was real, and what was Wenger/Raul/board PR spin city.

From a business thinking view, there had to be something real about him to last so long, and, if the rumors were true about Ivan genuinely wanting Pep & Klopp, as well as being a very good argument to dispense with Wenger’s long suffered BS and antipathy towards us fans, then I’ll shift my perspective on the man. Really didn’t like Chips either.

my overall take was he used us to learn – El B like; and then moved on to Italy where he had money from the hedge fund mates he was connected to through his daughter’s school I believe in stock broker belt.

Those cnuts forgot the origin of the game’s attendees, and our treasured history we’ve been lucky to witness. It’s what the club is founded on and what Wenger in his last 14 years sullied.

Yet the new era stayed with the Emirates, and with it a new game that will eventually – my guess is less than a decade- become the super league so coveted by Middle Eastern countries and billionaires alike.

My El B views are well known here, so no need to regurgitate. However, I am not adversed to reversing any previous reasoning, as I don’t give a shit what people think negatively about my POV. Such POVs are usually well measured with attention to nuances and grey areas before coming to my B&W POVs.

The data behind such held positions is much read or watched, as is TRVL’s; professors always deal in data is my understanding from my interactions with such senior educators over the decades around the globe. Then there is the all important eye test that mostly is the best prism from which to make assessments, as you do at pitch side. Essentially, what I’m saying is you won’t sway my initial judgement; only time can do that.

I’m not saying don’t try, but it’s rather fruitless. Maybe use a hummingbird in a glass shop approach with me? I’m always happy to listen to well thought out reasoning we give here, yours included.

You’re dealing with a well loaded spectrum dweller here where gifts are curses and vis a vis. We are just different, not better, just wired differently.

El B will always be a solid cnut for me. 24 carat cnut! Simples as you say in London. Regardless of what he wins, I don’t like the man.

White who was a wrong time buy for me, and as such, it kind of sucked for longer than it should have.

We needed an 8. We still do FFS.

White I fear took the brunt of the shit for that factor alone; we didn’t need an overpriced CB. However, this season White has come of age. Like me, he’s different. No idea why, but he is. Not liking watching football is a bit of an anomaly, right? I like how White can play the whole right side with his work in the final 3rd that is improving all the time.

He’s a £50m player now and a starter this season. Next season I’d prefer to see Timber play RB. Branthwaite at LB and maybe try White at 8 to shoehorn him into the side?

Now back to Havertz who does flatter to deceive. Aerially challenged and needing too many attempts to score. Also, no real cutting edge speed or acceleration. Had his timing been better, possibly he could have 20 this season if played up top, but Jesus would be bitching in El B’s shell likes to put a stop to any common sense decisions. Pets ‘r El B.

As Norg says Havertz is frail with very little lift from his chop stick legs I’ll add.

El B has done Havertz no favors making him our highest earner, as he is not our highest performer – far from it. El B pricing Havertz out of the market is his ploy. He can’t lose his latest pet pricing Havertz out of his abilities.

He’s here, so we have to hope he comes really good to justify keeping him from buying what we really need. 12 goals and assists is decent enough and shows just how bad Eddie and Jesus really are; however, we need better, so I hope Havertz isn’t our 9 for next season. False 9 I’m fine with.

I read this morning that we’re offering Jorginho another extension. Better than Elneny I guess and Rice and Partey can give him the time he needs on the ball, but again we need better and quicker to let Rice and Partey play their best game free of being chaperones for the speed challenged Jorginho.

Thanks for your insights here Aitcho and history with the club, we all like to share here on past days to keep the blog pub like where we can. Hope to read more from you.

I was bull in a china shop on LG with so many numpties there, but here is more fun and family/mates like where contributing and reading is fun for all. I’ve never had a local pub – never in one place long enough.

LIR is the nearest I’ve ever come to having a local battle cruiser. So, cheers lads.

Marc
So true. He always seemed amped up to me and his weight loss was really down to soy milk?

Welcome home NORG. I’ve not been to Seville but have visited many other Andalucian highlights in the past few years. How was the marmalade?

Agree about Saka. He succeeds in being everything to all fans. I hate the overuse and misuse of the word ‘icon’ these days particularly by TV and advertising people (who can resist these iconic vol-au-vents or the iconic reality TV personality etc.?) but he exemplifies all that is good about our club. I’m not a monarchist but as you’ll have seen from earlier in-game posts of mine, for me he’s the King of Arsenal just like other figures in the past such as Charlie G (and N?), Brady, Rocky, Ian Wright and TH in his pomp. He’s able naturally to set the greatest examples at whatever he does including his academic successes. A great human being in short.

Still feeling a bit wobbly about Bournemouth?

Hi Vieira
Thanks for clarifying that. I was dealing with the image of a long-legged chihuahua with rheumy eyes and incurable running nose struggling to zip up his coat. I can rest easier now.

We are prepared to listen to offers for Jesus the DM says. If I were a potential suitor I’d be thinking if he can’t score enough with our service, the what chance for lower level teams?

We are so cool at selling players. Our reasons for selling Jesus are his fitness issues.

Now who wants to buy an unfit player who needs 1 in 4 chances to score?

I believe the requested offers for Jesus were over 2 pints and a packet of crisps.

KP
You will not find a single jar, satchet or any other container of Marmalade in the whole of Seville. It is we English that know how to use the bitter Seville orange to make a really good marmalade. Ask for Marmalade and you get jam and any flavour. My wife swears by Tiptree Tawney Marmalade – she was most disappointed at breakfast time.
Bournemouth will either be a stroll in the park or a hard fought win. It will depend on our players and not theirs. Their manager is a mate of El B’s but for 90+ minutes there will not be any handshakes. Hopefully our team driven by Rice and (with his right boots on) orchestrated by Odegaard we should be victors. Bournemouth will try to stop us playing and Saka will probably receive extra attention.

With marmalade being the flavor of this evenings chat I thought I’d learn more about this bitter sweet preserve. It has a rather mixed history as you can read below.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marmalade

I was reared on golden shred marmalade but have enjoyed many recipes form different countries.

Orange marmalade leaves me cold, but I used to enjoy Rose’s lime variety.

But a good raspberry jam beats it easily, especially the kind that leaves seeds in those hard-to-reach dental nooks and crannies.

The thing that concerns me against Bournemouth is that we start like a train fail to score by half time and gradually lose steam a la Villa and Spuds. I hope there’s a sports psychologist working overtime at Colney this week schooling the players (and Arteta) on maintaining levels for the entire game. I’ve heard of no inuries so the team (same as Chelsea and Spurs) ought to pick itself. Any smart arsing from his mighty stubbornness is the last thing we need. Bournemouth might be on the beach – consciously if u consciousnessly too.

Not a big marmalade fan myself, but I do remember something called Buck Fizz Marmalade, which was tasty as fuck…personally I prefer an apricot jam or strawberry, especially if it’s homemade and straight out of the freezer…I can eat that shit by the spoonful

KP-I can understand your trepidation surrounding this weekend’s fixture, as Bournemouth haven’t typically rolled over for anyone, especially in the second-half of the season…they haven’t lost at home since a 1-0 defeat to City a few months back, but on the road they’ve been a far more pedestrian 2-3-2 since the beginning of February…thankfully this one’s in the capital

I still think we should win our remaining 3 fixtures with relative ease, so for me it’s really all about City dropping all 3 against one of their remaining 4 opponents…our commitment to team defence is unmatched in the League this season and although this can lead to a whole host of rinse and repeat affairs, which are very reminiscent of those during Wenger’s pass the ball into the net era, it’s really quite effective against those without the requisite amount of patience or clinical finishing…I guess there’s always the possiblility that we could struggle in front of goal, considering our glaring lack of high-end finishers, and end up on the wrong side of a 1-0 or 2-1 scoreline, but I still think it’s far more likely that we win 3-1 or 4-2

I agree with you guys I don’t see us dropping points by the players although El B try his galaxy brain best.

Same with City they will be able to taste the sweet trophy smell having won 5 from the last 6 seasons.

I don’t think City have dropped points when Rodri plays so pray for an injury. Stones is far from Rodri’s levels.

Tony-I think the only things working in our favour is Ederson’s injury and maybe City’s back-to-back matches against the Spurs and the Hammers, which might mean something to both of those teams…now if these fixtures were 7 days apart that might mean exceedingly less, but City has 3 matches in 8 days to end their season

NORG
Seville’s a lovely city with a nice bit of edge, the whole region is good fun. I like the vibes. Bit less up it’s backside than other parts of Spain, for me.

The shirts thing is a thing. I used a, highly subjective and arbitrary, index of fake shirts in countries where genuine articles would be at a premium. There was a noticeable decline in Arsenal shirts in the bazaars of places like Marrakesh, Istanbul, Damascus or Tehran in the lean years

While of course I had to observe the upturn in Chelsea, Spuds and, for some reason, quite slowly ManC. I can only surmise they didn’t have the global majority appeal that a team with say Drogba, Essien or lols, Adebayor may have had. And of course, Lolerpool and ManU are hardy perennials.

On a trip to Serbia last year I saw fake Sakas matched only by Al Hilal. Earlier this year I even saw fakes of those extra kits Arsenal churn out in Moroccco. The women’s third kit, the ‘lyfestyler’ and original versions of the third kit. We’re truly back!

Having watched the semis, I have no idea what business bookies had pitching us as third faves. Had we sneaked through v Bayern, all three teams left could have done us some damage.

Germany look like their squad will be a decent one come the euros.

Aitcho
You can add BKK to your copies list. Back in 1999 when I first came to Thailand our shirt wearing fans of mostly copies but there was an Arsenal shop in Central World.

As Wenger’s losses racked up so the shirts disappeared with L’Pool, Manure (top), Chavs and then City. Very few mainland European clubs had fans in their shirt: only RM & Barca. I don’t remember see German or Italian club shirts being worn.

Now it’s City, Pool, Barca, PSG, RM and the sole Arsenal shirt I saw recently when I spent time in BKK.

For Thais to follow, you have to win trophies. Funny concept I know, but there it is. Thais follow winners.

TRVL
I just think City’s squad and quality with experience will shine through and get Pep over the line, Obviously, I’m hoping, but is hope enough? I think not!

I just don’t see it.

Tony-as you’re well-aware I’m a glass half empty kind of guy when it comes to most things Arsenal-related, for good reason I might add, but I still think these are the kind of fine margin issues that could swing things in our favour…of course, that only matters if we get our business done

on another note, after watching the CL semis, this was likely our best chance to win it all, considering what’s on tap for Real come the summer…every remaining side is flawed and in flux…in fact, we might have had the most settled starting side, if it weren’t for all the shoehorning…problem is it’s difficult to win if you’re more concerned about not losing, or getting embarassed, than winning…we should have learned that lesson from our previous round matchup, when we barely squeaked by a rather pedestrian Porto side

if we had only shown some balls like Dortmund, who by the way are currently in 5th place and 24 points behind the League leaders. we could have exercised some long-standing Bayern demons…after all, this wasn’t some sort of CL juggernaut Munich side who were destined to make the semis or beyond, in fact, this was a more flawed version of the same side who had been ousted in the quarters for 3 years running…even if our manager felt that we were overmatched, why not act like you’re playing with house money, instead of adopting what can only be described as a settling bitch approach…talk about looking a gift horse in the fucking mouth

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/may/01/ange-postecoglou-warns-tottenham-copying-arsenal-schoolyard-dark-arts

This is fucking hilarious and well worth a quick read. A whingeing Aussie bastard (as opposed to a pommie one) and a hypocrite who sent his goal keeper up to do the same thing he is moaning about Ben White doing. Too little, too late my kangaroo mating mate!

And the ultimate humiliation for Ange? Out-thought by a pseudo manager like Arteta.

Dark Arts from Spurs players as well? Never!

From the team that gave us Graham Roberts, Razor (the clue’s in the name) Ruddock, Pat vd Hauwe, Lisping/Elbowing Arry K-k-k-ane and diving wankers like Son, Lamela and that Brazilian geezer.

Bad losers and only occasional bad winners. Terrible club from the wastelands of Middlesex. Resorting to this – their neanderthal fans will be beating their chests in anguish and embarrassment.

It does talk to the virtues of snidey, front foot, semi aggressive behaviour in football. Late Wenger/Emery/and early Arteta, we were soft as shite and our body language was sometimes submissive. But winning teams need a few hardnuts. Peter Storey, Adams, Vieira, Petit, Bergo etc. And it’s true elsewhere – Sounness, Case, Tommy Smith, Keane, Chopper Harris, and more recently Rodri.

If Spurs genuinely think they’re above the cut and thrust (and I don’t think they do), no wonder they haven’t won a title for 63 years….. 🌵🌿🌿🌿A tumbleweed moment.

I successfully convinced my kids that ersatz Arsenal jerseys were much cooler than the real thing because they were niche, exotic, and they were sticking it to the big man by paying 2 quid for one instead of 60. It also meant I was able to squeeze in some dogma about the evils of capitalism while conveniently failing to mention that ALL clothes are made in sweat shops.

My son even had one that was misspelt (from Turkey iirc). No one else in Wales had one with ARSHAVEN on the back!

Kroenke

I don’t wear football shirts but that’s a personal thing what I don’t understand is club’s (its not just Arsenal) charging so much for kids shirts etc.

Keep the price low and get them hooked whilst they’re young and you’ve then got a fan for life.

I agree Marc. I can remember my first Arsenal kit vividly from the very early 70s. My mum sewed a separately bought badge on it. I even had the proper red socks with a single narrowish white hoop right at the top. Long sleeved shirts back then. Even as a kid, I kind of remember thinking there was no way back after I’d got the kit (even if I’d wanted to).

Call me a traitor but around that time I also bought a pair of those Leeds United numbered sock ‘flaps’ for want of a better description. Number 11 – I played left wing as a kid and I quite liked Eddie Gray.

You feeling confident about playing the Cherries and are you going?

While you’re watching the game on Saturday lads, think of me in South Yorkshire slumming it with junior and his mates in Rotherham. Bluebirds! 🐦

KP, living in North London, I don’t think my kids will get away with moody Arsenal kits but they’ll take a fake anything else at the drop of a hat, nothing domestic naturally. Not having that.

They judge holidays on the quality and value of the fakes, among other things, and are almost dismissive of places that have low grade fakes. Qatar and Dubai being examples, they don’t even try football kit wise.

Has anyone had a bash at the Euros last minute portal this morning? I jumped in slightly late and queued for a couple of hours. Slim pickings, no fans first left, very few Cat 3, nothing that I really wanted. I’ll have to be content with what I have.

After the WC, not being able to see multiple games a day seems so limiting. And they seem to have deliberately kept the games spaced apart geographically. the rotters. Only matches 22/24, 13/15 seem remotely doable as a pair. I’ve got 15 and accommodation booked so not going to be moving.

Not doing Bournemouth, too early and work scuppered that plan. Young ‘uns both have away games so a bit tight for them. Maybe better for all our nerves.

I hear you on the Thais loving winners Tony. As I’ve come to learn, people engage in football in different ways, from Bengalis supporting Argentina at the WC because of Maradona in 86, just living somewhere, your first game or plain glory hunting, I’m less judgemental these days.

Kroenke

Yes I’m taking my nephew – I’ve taken him to a couple of other matches but always sat in friends seats lower tier I’ve managed to snagged the seat next to my ST to it’ll be a different experience for him.

As for the result – if you can’t beat Bournemouth at home you don’t deserve to finish top 4 let alone be in contention for the title.

We really need a national campaign – It’s not VAR its the useless cunts operating it.

It just took them ages to check an offside that everyone else watching managed in 3 seconds.

First half Chavs Spuds, for the jokes. So much shit on display. Spuds have an excuse, this is the history of the Tottenham as Conte famously advised them.

Chelsea, no excuse. Only looking at which homegrown players we can bag to ease their FFP woes. James, of course, if we’re serious about continuous improvement. Gallagher would be an interesting addition but I fear two years of pleasing himself might need a lot of undoing.

Let’s see how the top brass manage sales of Eddie, ESR and Nelson this summer and make sure we’re in a strong position PSR wise.

Gonna leave them to it. Midweek eight a side, thought is was going to be warm.

Aitcho

Assuming all 3 of Eddie, ESR and Nelson are sold how much do you think we’ll get for for them?

I’d be shocked (pleasantly surprised) if we managed £60 million for all 3.

Marc
I hope you both enjoy it. I agree that we ought to have enough.

Aitcho
Chelsea v Spuds… Fucking awful game. We might well finish trophy less this season but at least we’re the best team in London. But that’ll be scant consolation if we miss out.

Kroenke

He’s a good kid and I’m training him to be a complete right wing bar steward!

As for being best team in London this season – Orient are more in contention that the Spud’s or Chelsea. Its been such an odd season – ManU, Chelsea, Liverpool, Spud’s even Brighton have been really poor.

Marc, I think 60m is realistic, should be more. I’ll be shocked if we get less.

I don’t think ESR’s value is shot yet. Not playing him probably protected his value although I’m not suggesting that was the rationale. People at other clubs can see our players in a different light, more often than not, through highlight reels rather than regular games. I remember how fans of other players used to wax lyrical about Theo Walcott based on numbers, his highlights, contrary to the dross he consistently churned up. I think ESR could make 40m if we push. It’s not a lot for a homegrown player of his standing.

Reiss and Eddie, 20m each. In my head, they’re not worth that but I’ve watched them regularly. And again, homegrown. Now we’re a good team they carry a bit more cred. I’ve also seem some right dross going in the 15-20m bracket. Proper take a punt market. They should be asking 30m each and walk back from that. If Brenan Johnson and Palmer who were untested went for 40s 30 isn’t a big ask. Eddie’s wages might be an issue and perhaps slice into the fee.

KP, like St Totts, Pride of London is still worth it. But yeah that first half was dross. See Jackson scored later. The poster boy for Chelsea’s malaise, followed closely by Mudryk and a whole raft not far behind.

Marc—I would be incredibly surprised if we could get 60M combined for these particular 3 players…each player has some serious stumbling blocks when it comes to securing a reasonable fee….as of right now, Eddie has a MV of 30M, ESR 25M and Nelson 15M, which would seem to suggest that we should get a minimum of 70M, as most players from successful clubs are getting above the number…problem is, we’ve been absolutely atrocious when it comes time to sell…there are a variety of reasons for our transfer-related shortcomings, most of which are self-inflicted:

(1) high wages—both Nelson and Eddie were given unjustified wages in the region of 100/wk, after both were given raises by MA last summer…no team is going to give us top dollar and pay those kinds of wages, as neither is a bona fide starter in the PL, at least not for a team with the financial wherewithal required to take on those sort of weekly expenditures..ESR wages are substantially lower, so it might not be quite so problematic, as you likely wouldn’t need to lower the fee to offset the overall costs

(2) having a manager who refuses to put players in the shop window—none of these players have played enough, so this will provide the buyer will considerable leverage…this certainly isn’t our first rodeo in this regards, as we’ve seen several of our former player’s market values plummet due to their lack of playing time…now some might wrongly suggest that this might actual be to our advantage, as they likewise didn’t sully their respective values by getting significant minutes and performing poorly, but that’s a grasping a straws wet dream

(3) our unrealistic demands—even when players are ghosted or deemed unplayable/unreliable by the manager, we still place unattainable fee demands on their respective heads…this strategy has never borne fruit during MA’s reign…just look at the ridiculous values we placed on players whom we ultimately released or sold for next to nothing…for example, it appears as if we’ve placed a 60M value on Ramsdale, a player most felt we paid above the number for a few years back, when we paid about half that amount, and who likewise barely saw the fucking pitch this season….that formula certainnly didn’t do wonders for Leno’s MV

(4) injury issues—both ESR and Nelson have had several injury issues during their time here, Eddie not as much so…teams would be foolish not to use this troubling fact to their benefit when cutting any deal…now this isn’t a self-inflicted wound, unless we were acting in a negilent fashion, but that will still have a bearing on any negotiations

the only positives in this particular scenario is that some will place a premium on both their homegrown status and the fact they were member of a top 4 side for 2 consecutive seasons…that said, the whole “status” gig might scare off some potential transfer partners, as they might not deem these particular players as premium-worthy… now there will be those who will invariably fall in love with a particular player, at which time all commonsensical bets are off, as they might be willing to stretch their budget regardless of the prevailing logic…this likely only applies to ESR, as he seems to have garnered the most interest in season’s past