If you read the scoreline, 3-1 against Manchester United sounds pretty impressive, even at home. If you have watched the game, you would notice we are still in the chaos mode; but positives first.
We beat ’em. We got the three points against a top 4 team and the game was as exciting as it can get. For some reason, coming from behind after Rashford scored the first feels like a much needed confidence booster after Fulham’s result. Havertz missed an easy one in the 14th minute when the ball landed on his feet somehow, and he mis-shot it. It was him again when he played a sloppy pass to Eriksen in the 27th minute, who passed it brilliantly to Rashford. Rashford never fails to score against Arsenal, does he? We reacted this time. It took only a couple of minutes for us to level the score. Eddie picked up the ball, passed it to Martinelli and the Brazillian found Odegaard on the edge of the box. Two link ups between Eddie and Martinelli, and the other one should have been a goal too. I see a chemistry building up finally at the left side, but it requires Eddie to move from his goal scoring positions. I think Havertz has been tasked to finish it but we would need better precision and output from him.
In the second half, there were few exciting moments. Ramsdale and Gabriel denied Martial a goal, we got a penalty that was overturned. We made some changes – Jesus in place of Eddie, Tomiyasu for Zinchenko and Vieira for Havertz. Saka missed one, which should have been a goal again, Garnacho scored in 88th which was ruled offside and Nelson comes in place of Martinelli before extra added minutes.
The last 10 minutes were a mix of joy and chaos for us Gooners. Rice, in the United penalty box, takes a corner ball on his chest, and does a volley. It takes a slight touch from one of the United players and lands into the net. It was a crazy scene, first goal for our future midfielder, 2-1 against United with only 2 minutes left on the clock. The celebration spoke of madness. It wasn’t the end though, a Vieira pass led to Jesus run and that slide from Dalot wasn’t enough to hold him. Game ended with 3-1. Brilliant result, some good performances from Rice, Odegaard, Martinelli. Chemistry between Martinelli and Eddie has improved, and our captain scored one again. That goal at the end will provide Jesus some confidence and Vieira was on the assist sheet again.
Concerns?
Our finishing. You can’t miss two easy goals (Havertz and Saka) against a top 4 team and expect to win. We did win, but the game could have ended with a completely different score. Most of the time, we are responsible for our losses. This could have been another one such game.
Havertz will take time. He hasn’t been convincing in his first 4 games for us, but Vieira has. Even with the performances from the bench. Concerning thing is that, Mikel is going to stick to Kai and not use Vieira who looks much more confident this season. I will Kai doesn’t take 3 seasons like he did at Chelsea, to get into his pre-Chelsea form.
We are in much better control with a proper back 4 and Saliba + Gabriel partnership. I hope Mikel doesn’t go back to Partey at RB once he is back. We got Rice to rotate with him in the middle, so that he is fully fit for the games that matters most, and there will be plenty this season. We didn’t bring Rice so that we can move Partey to RB.
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Not trying to be a spoil sports, but there is a lot of improvement needed, and unlike last season’s winning run when you could hardly find a thing we did wrong, we have been very much chaotic and nervous in our first four games. We will only improve from here.
Cheers.
Very well put, Ambarish. Nothing spoil sports about being refreshingly honest and posting out where we need to improve.
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There will always be chaos in Arteta teams because he has a chaotic mind that often just doesn’t make plain or any sense, such as his ‘Wife’ analogy to Harvetz.
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Why one needs to conquer his intended wife is a mystery to me, but this is Arteta. I’m sure Havertz went straight home and said to his GF the boss said I have to conquer you.
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To which she replied………………..
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So, yes, Ambarish you got it 100% correct about the chaos Arteta brings to the club with his machine gun patter.
Very assured, well written piece Ambarish. I enjoyed reading it.
It was an ugly, underwhelming win in some respects but bear in mind the following.
– As you say, we responded by scoring quickly meaning the players’ heads didn’t go down.
– Beating that bunch of weirdos and wrong uns is good, whichever way it happens.
-Jesus scored which will hugely lift his confidence and that of other teammates. A little like Ian Wright in my view, he has the ability to lift others up with his irrepressibility (if that’s a word…) and his spirit.
– Rice put in a display for the ages. He didn’t take long to arrive did he? A marvellous player who I have to say I’d not fully appreciated when he was a hammer despite always looking good against us.
– The team showed guts and determination to keep going for the win. Utd parked the bus because EtH concluded that was their only way of getting a point/points.
– And, as you infer, Tets will surely rip up the inverted rb playbook. Even if he doesn’t admit he was a utter arse to introduce it in the first place.
The games will come thick and fast after the international break is over. He MUST back this start to the season up with some clever squad rotation.
I hope you had a fine birthday mate. I’m sure that result would have helped
What does everyone feel about the emotion on display at home games these days? If it works and can be sustained, then fine. But you watch it sometimes and think, phew… It looks like they’re all going to blow a fucking gasket or something. Chief among them, the little man on the touchline of course.
GG was Kool and the Gang and instilled that in his teams. The good grace and composure he displayed at Anfield on 26/5/89 was legendary even after the whistle went. He knew anything else would not have been cool in the aftermath of Hillsborough, and Arsenal as a club emerged from that night with huge amounts of credit as well as winning their first title in 19 years. I just wonder the current team can/should keep these wild uncontrolled displays up?
Just one more recollection from my travels to Colwyn Bay last weekend. Their manager was a mouthy bastard and it being only semi-pro football the crowd was about 600 and so you could hear him. He started this vociferous argument with the 4th official before the fucking game even started! And guess what? When the ball rolled towards this guy and the ref gave a throw to County, he rolled it behind him rather than hand the ball to the opposing player. A genuinely cunty thing to do – he’s obviously a devotee of Arteta. Needless to say, he eventually got a yellow card.
Tets isn’t even fit to suck the sweat off of GG’s balls!
I’m sure Havertz went straight home and said to his GF the boss said I have to conquer you.
Tony,
To which she replied.
Wunderbar schatze. Mitt der horse chestnut tree in der garden dropping conkers everywhere at this time of the year, you can shoot as many of them at me as you wish. Oh fuck, you missed again! Scheisse!
Truth is , we got very lucky.
Great goal chalked of by Var. A scandalous decision, regardless what team you support.
Poor managers on both sides. Both doing their great clubs disservice with their words, deeds and antics after the match.
Hag is a wet lettuce and Arteta is simply Arteta.
I.e A fucking nuisance.
And international break kills any momentum built up.
Art
Even though he may have only been centimetres beyond Gabriel, Garnacho was offside. Those types of VAR decisions are easy in my opinion. If he was infringing the offside law then the electronics will say so. A lot less controversial than decisions involving contact. I thought the Havertz claim was a pen because there was contact, albeit very lightly. If that had been a manure player, I think I would also have accepted it as such. I agree that the game and the comportment by each manager left a lot to be desired. Arteta’s was worse than ten Hag’s. Tets is hugely weak psychologically speaking.
…. Yes, and international breaks are even more annoying than our manager’s personality flaws. I loathe international football.
Kronkephobe
It’s a goal. And a good one at that.
If the same goal , happened in the lower league, without Var its a goal.
I don’t care what team you support, if you don’t think that bit of skill should not be rewarded and a goal given, then what’s the point of football?
Especially in the last few minutes of a big match.
We have poncy micro managers on the touchline, with their 43 different formations bollocks and now we have micro managing Var cancelling goals over millimetres.
Sick to the back of top flight football ,its full of utter cunts thieving careers.
If some one said to me, 20 years ago, useless cunts like Hag and Arteta and video refs would be at an Arsenal v Man Utd game , I would said you are are fucking mad.
Well it’s happened.
As for international football, its the most pointless exercise possible.
But If 80 000 cunts turn up to watch an England v Malta ‘game’ , don’t expect anything to change soon.
The FA’ s will keep fleecing these soppy cunts , til the cows come home. They would play a game every day,if they could get away with it.
And the cunts would still turn up.
from an eye test perspective our 3-0-1 start has been an incredibly fortuitous one…the very fact that no one, and I mean no one, is playing their respective best and yet we secured 10 of 12 available points, should actually embolden the fanbase even further, as it would seem only logical to assume that things will get significantly better…of course, such a trajectory is certainly not a foregone conclusion, as there’s a couple key issues that could quite easily derail our plans
the big question marks are quite simple, will our closest competitors, some of whom are struggling presently, match or even exceed our potential and, more importantly, will MA continue to stymie our development with his amateur hour tactics and inherent selection biases…I, for one, believe that this latter scenario will be our most likely downfall, in that far too often MA caters to our weakest links, instead of finding ways in which to optimize the potential of our greatest assets…so if we’re relying too heavily on Rice unlocking defences or Havertz coming deeper with the ball at his feet or Partey playing RB or Eddie scoring above the level of a poacher or Marts/Saka constantly beating double-teams, things will invariably go sideways
in the entirety of his tenure our MIT has yet to find a way to add some much-needed directness in our attack and until this is properly redressed we will continue to come up short when it matters most…the only time we displayed the kind of directness I’m referring to was when MA was forced into playing our now forgotten man, ESR…just think about it, when you want to be a possession-based side, who rarely counters at pace, except when we’re sitting deep with a lead late-on, who would rather attack in wider channels, it enables opposing defences to maintain/regain their respective shape, without any tangible fear about having their belly exposed when they’re constantly rotating coverages out wide…this is why players like Xhaka and Eddie have found themselves unmarked so often in the middle of the box…unfortunately both showed a propensity to scuff or shank grade A chances on the regular
now what if we adopted a more inside/outside hybrid approach and had the horses to see it through…this would put an incredibly amount of pressure on the opposition, as it would undoubtedly leave both Marts and Saka in 1 v. 1s on a regular basis, especially if we had the required clinical finishing up top…the fact that we didn’t get another Striker option, or retain Balo, and likewise chose to get the shockingly poor in front of goal Havertz, we’ve actually become a worse passing team, especially with Rice as the sole DM, and a similar, if not worse, scoring team, efficiency-wise, with the aforementioned Havertz and one of either Eddie or Jesus on the pitch…classic square pegs/round holes clusterfuck
now for something completely different…
I’m well-aware of the fact that I can be a broken record on ocassion and even though I feel it’s generally justified, due to the overabundance of nonsensical decisions made by our manager, tonight I’m going to focus on some positives
(1) on balance we have a team of seemingly well-intentioned and good-natured young men…now this doesn’t always translate to success on the pitch, but it’s rather refreshing in light of the considerably less appealing alternatives
(2) I truly believe that we have several players who have what it takes to succeed at the highest of levels, like Saka, Marts, Ode, Rice and Saliba, if they’re suitably surrounded by complimentary pieces and the requisite tactics, which takes full advantage of their respective skillsets
(3) I do think that Rice can replace and even better what Partey has brought to the equation, if he’s deployed as a deeper lying DM, where he can protect our backline, feed quick short passes to our best facilitators and occasionally pursue more advanced positions…he likewise mustn’t be relied upon as a proper pivot or goal-scoring option, except on set pieces or when we’ve pinned our opponents in their final third and committing more men would be both prudent and/or required…in a perfect world, tactically-speaking, if we had backers who could stretch the field and provide the necessary cover for our forwards, then we brought in another Ode-like player for the 8-hole, who had an eye for goal, Rice could drop deep between Saliba and Gabs and provide the perfect cover when opposing teams are on the counter
(4) we’ve had unprecendented financial backing over the last couple of years and if that continues to be the case this could bode well for the foreseeable future…hopefully our administrative/managerial team won’t continue to waste those monies on ill-suited/nonsensical purchases, as any team who spends 200+M in a singular window should be notably better on the pitch, which certainly isn’t the case thus far…that said, it’s always better to have the ability to correct your mistakes, financially-speaking, than being in a position where you’re SOL
(5) I’m cautiously optimistic that we’ve been on the receiving end of a rather favourable CL draw…so much so that we might actually be able to properly rotate some of our underused players into the lineup on occasion, although I won’t be holding my breath in that regards
(6) as I stated in my pre-season preamble, I still believe that our “window” is open for this season…several teams are a year or two away from competing for titles, or at least for second place, if City continues to find ways to maintain their current level of dominance…Pool is likely the closest to recovering, but Chelsea and United will need more time to do likewise…as for Newcastle and BHA, the former might need to make a mangerial change before getting over the proverbial hump, whereas the latter have the manager but likely not the horses to challenge for top honours, unless they find a way to capture lightning in a bottle in full-bore LC fashion
Cheers
TRVL
That’s an apt observation. Inspite of the few glaring issues with decision making from manager in terms of rotation, playing players out of positions etc, we have a very young and tight coupled squad. Champions League draw for group stages is comparatively easier and the owners have been putting their own money for the club’s success.
It’s much easier to fix a manager’s mistake than to make the owners commit or replace an aged squad.
I’m pretty optimistic for this season.
Art Fraud
If you ask me, it should have been a goal. You can’t rule a goal offside by a mm. However, we have been on receiving end for the most part, I have no complaints.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thesun.co.uk/sport/23811629/premier-league-var-arsenal-man-utd/
This is an interesting development. Why not make it live though?
Because VAR would have listened all conversations and checked if there’s no problem releasing it. Make it live, just like cricket.
Remove the non-sensical ‘clear and obvious error’ and give captains 2 reviews a game. Much better than the currently deployed system.
TRVL
Some good typically erudite points there, backed with evidence. I just hope we don’t arrive at the end of this period of relative benevolence thinking…
If it wasn’t for the manager and other senior figures at the club, I wonder what we might have won?
On the other hand, I’m sorry but I just cannot compute what you and Art have said about the Garnacho thing. A few mms beyond where Gabriel was positioned when the ball comes through is offside. A few mms the other side and he’s onside. The line has the be drawn somewhere (ie when attacker and defender are demonstrably level) and I’m happy with that aspect of the current offside law. We can’t have electronic devices with pinpoint accuracy and then allow an extra, arbitrary tolerance that lets more goals be scored. It’d never wash and the entire fear/paranoia about bent refs would expand exponentially. We all have to be able to trust something. Just my thoughts…
I’m also probably saying that because I ended up playing at centre half!
Morning all
Great posts making really interesting points from eye test observations with zero data thrown in for good measure.
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VAR has to be used correctly in ALL instances or where do you draw the right vs wrong line, as KP said? Digital data as we know with the ref’s goal line tech is capable of determining such distinct fine margins. It’s not really the tech that’s been at fault, but the technicians being ex refs using the tech.
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Most here have said this at some time or other, but the rugby union version of VAR – TMO works perfectly well because it is shown live on big screens, and rarely gets a decision wrong, especially when you consider you have rucks with at times 15+ players in a violent mass of players fighting for the invisible ball to most, then you can see how well the rugby TMO deals with such difficulties.
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If you’re not aware, have a look at the rugby world cup in France now.
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I see things the way KP does here, but I can understand VL and Art’s POVs in that, all trust has been lost with VAR, so much so prompting all kinds of north v south ridiculous supposed bias et al.
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To rebuild the trust in the tech, there should be 2 techs unrelated to the game and 2 officials in the VAR box. The techs use the VAR computing equipment to quickly draw lines or reply zoomed video, frame by frame if necessary for the 2 refs to make a decision in the box, as well as the fans witnessing the decision unfold, on the stadia screens for the fans, in real time to see the transparency. This also allows the ref to talk to the VAR refs for clarity and the fans hearing for complete coherence.
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I feel the job is too stressful for non-tech ex game people to operate the VAR equipment. For sure the stress will elevate cortisol levels as the stress heightens.
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For the uninitiated think of when you’ve had a real shock or terror fright, and your chest feels like it’s full of concrete being pushed in, that is the effect of cortisol and worse. Athletes get it all the time, but have to conquer it.
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Cortisol effects will cause a person to perform at much lower levels because the cortisol pain is a distraction and can feel like angina.
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We shouldn’t get this with VAR tech operators, especially if they have no real interest in the game/sport, but are elite at their work.
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Even elite techs make mistakes because everyone is human. However, with 2 techs one to observe the other for faults in the tech or operator, I believe this would reduce VAR to very limited mistakes as in the Rugby Union, cricket, tennis and other sports regulated in such a digital way.
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Cortisol effects on the brain:
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“Basal cortisol elevation causes damage to the hippocampus and impairs hippocampus-dependent learning and memory. Chronic high cortisol causes functional atrophy of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA), the hippocampus, the amygdala, and the frontal lobe in the brain.”
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Cortisol effects on the body:
Beware High Levels of Cortisol, the Stress Hormone: Source Internet
Fatigue.
Irritability.
Headaches.
Intestinal problems, such as constipation, bloating or diarrhea.
Anxiety or depression.
Weight gain.
Increased blood pressure.
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A healthy stress hormone in overload is not good for us. The overload in the VAR box would be immense, especially for the big games.
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Use tech nerds who have no interest in football and 2 experienced refs with the one on the picth dictating what he needs to see, and all will be well with VAR imho.
Yes, a drawn line is a drawn line and strictly sticking to it unlike my personal opinion is fair. But what about the clear and obvious errors, or a red card?
Tomiyasu got a second yellow for a shirt pull that didn’t happen. Everyone saw a replay on screen within seconds. VAR couldn’t intervene because it wasn’t a straight red. What’s the point when you clearly saw it’s wrong and don’t can’t change it?
Now, if VAR starts doing that for every decision, it will slow down the game and rhythm of the game. Best thing would be, to let the on field referee do the refereeing, and allow the captains from both team to object if they feel something is wrong. Limit it to couple instances per match; only then VAR should be consulted.
Of course this is my personal opinion. And of course, the standards of refereeing needs a major improvement because the likes of Anthony Taylor will require 10 objections per team per match.
pitch*
You’re right, Ambarish, all good questions and this again is addressed in the rugby union because the TMO is always keeping the ref appraised of what is going on around him. Now, it can be infuriating to be brought back for an unseen infringement, but if the letter of the law is going to be laid down then all fouls that go on need to be reported to the ref from the VAR.
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How many times do we scream foul at the TV that goes unpunished? Too many is the answer. We either have VAR or not, there are no half measures.
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What using VAR effectively is going to do is reduce the dark arts and off-the-ball fouls because they will be reported and result in yellows. It quickly cleaned up RFU and football would be no different.
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I just want fair impartial refereeing, Ambarish, same as you. Then let the best team win knowing VAR is watching.
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We are preaching there same sermon, Ambarish, for the same goal.
the*
Ambarish
Contrary to my Arteta doom and gloom predictions, I do actually feel we have the squad to really challenge on all fronts, by that I mean with our quality on the bench also, but it will all boil down to injuries and loss of form to key players that will be Arteta’s undoing, because of the last TW decisions in thinning the squad for a 3rd season where the last 2 ended very badly.
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The players are playing for Mikel and hopefully Gabs will be back in the back line regularly barring rotation.
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Manure was a minor test with far bigger challenges to come this season. We struggled past Manure, so Arteta needs to pick his seasons core positional tactics, which he can adjust and fine tune for different opponents – not make major alterations/surgery when they are not necessary, as he has done in Euro games and failing badly.
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It’s always been the same for me; we have had the players, but haven’t had the manager. Now, we are facing the season without a real playing identity, which I’m hoping the selection for Manure is the way forward with Gabs like last season, but starting Jesus and ESR at 8.
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As far as I’m concerned we need a quality LB and proven 20 goal 9 in January. Decent RB cover for Timber would also be very helpful for when Saliba and Tomi need rotating. This will allow for White to cover Saliba at times.
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The above is why Kai was a bad buy for us when we had the position covered with Trossard, Vieira and ESR. Buying a elite young LB may have negated Timber’s ACL injury, who knows? That’s what we needed.
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We are woefully short to be in 4 competitions, Ambarish, and I wish we weren’t.
Ambarish.
VAR is simply about the big tech and media companies controlling the game, the narrative , the money and the ‘ faux drama’
Any person , who claims to actually like sport , should be vehemently opposed to it , at all times, and including cricket where crytocurrency gambling is endemic because they now have control of it.
We have now this fucking circus, where that Manchester Utd 2nd goal would have been given, without VAR, but with VAR its disallowed.
So lower league matches in essence are playing a completely different game.
I ll go and support them instead.
This game now is so up its own arse and full of self importance, full of chancers ,sick to the back teeth of all the whining bullshitting cunts.
Art
I can vouch for lower league football. Which is your nearest team?
It’s more affordable, more ‘real’ (I spent some time talking to one of the officials from my club, and my son knows some of the players socially – I was also in a pre-match catering queue with one of the officials… They actually drink tea you know!) and a lot less pompous. Plus no Arteta! Although the opposing manager was a twat and behaved just like the little man. You’re also a lot less affected if the result doesn’t go as hoped!
Hoopah, who is another regular on here, is involved in a local team in India. It’s definitely the way for anyone who is jaded by the likes of Daniel Levy, Bruno Fernandez, Todd Boehly, the Saudi Arabian regime and the entire edifice of man city (there, just to show I’m not biased, I’ve found faults in all our main rivals). And last and least, our very own Tettyman.
Kronkephobe
‘Plus no Arteta’
What a fucking dream scenario. Completely sucked the enjoyment out of supporting the club with his Guardiola imitation tribute act.
Erith and Belvedere is my other team.
Hastings tonight FA Cup and no VAR, no bullshit no disallowed goals over a mm and no adults wearing the kits , thinking they are players themselves.
Just real and raw.
As it should be.
Art
Brilliant mate. Good luck tonight. Are you venturing down to East Sussex for the game? I see you’ve got a proper local rival too in Erith Town.
And you’re an original, Close-to-Woolwich based Gooner. Extra credit for that. I was born 30 odd miles to the East of there in not-so-sunny Gillingham. Enjoy mate – I’ll look out for the result later.
No adults wearing the kits. 😊
By the way, Arsenal women playing Linkopping at 4pm uk time. Free on Arsenal.Com
Kronkephobe
Adults with names of the players on the back of their replica kits is a complete no go as far as I am concerned.
Simply cunts who have far too much money and not enough brain cells between them.
I understand the kids wanting them, although mine never got them.
Back in my day, we wore a little discreet badge with the cannon on it.
As for women’s football, they even have VAR.
Talk about the sport taking itself too seriously
The middle classes killed football ultimately. Good thing is , you don’t seem too many of those cunts in non league
Born in Lee.
Not far from Woolwich Arsenal.
Art
Adults with names on shirts… Quite right. Anyone with Oxlade – Chamberlain (16 letters) or Lichtsteiner (12) are even bigger mugs!
I see E and B lost last night – it means they can concentrate on the league and FA Vase!
Football as it was in The 70s, 80s and 90s isn’t coming back. Clubs don’t care about the ones already hooked – they’re just on the look out for new consumers.
Kronkephobe
Your last sentence is very accurate. They simply want to get more customers.
I must get an email every fucking week from KSE about a new shirt or a new tracksuit or a new bit of shite. Delete immediately.
Not interested in your cheap cack.
I have unsubscibed at least twice, but I still get the shite sent .
They will sell anything and everything these days at Arsenal.
Do you reckon they’d let shirts be printed that said ‘Art Fraud’ or ‘Kroenkephobe’?
I remember the old days before City were owned by a state oil company. The last proper owner was a hideous twat called Peter Swales, and two bright sparks had shirts printed with ‘swalesout’ on the back. By the time they’d sold them and the blokes posed for photos in the media it was too late to cancel the order. Swales was fucking furious apparently.
The last time I had an Arsenal tracksuit was in the mid 70s. Top and bottom and I was thrilled. Navy blue with yellow trim (including a cannon pointing the right fucking way) with those loops that went under your feet to stop the legs riding up. Anyway, I was at my granny’s house in Chatham tear – arsing around in said tracksuit. Cut a long story short, I slipped on her lino and my knee went through a glass door. Two cuts, above and below my knee. 18 stitches, and the tracksuit bottoms were shredded.
I looked pleadingly at my mum when we got back from hospital, but something in her eyes told me that tracksuit was a one time offer and there’d be no replacement.
Even to this day, I cry myself to sleep every night like a sad clown lamenting the loss of those tracky bottoms. 😭
I remember some cunt got lamped outside a pub in Blackstock Road for having ‘McGoldrick’ on the back of his shirt after a 3 0 loss.
Especially as he was a fucking awful player.
Rightly so.
The kit is for the players to wear not some soppy fat cunt who can’t be arsed to dress properly.
KSE will milk these soppy cunts dry with more kits otherwise.
Now, Eddie and I have history (and I think Almunia is quite fond of him too because of his exploits in an Ireland shirt). Eddie is a few months younger than me but we used to play against each other frequently in Sunday leagues when we were kids in Corby. He was good then and a cut above but it was a pleasant surprise nevertheless to see him at Northampton and Palace where he was loved. An even bigger surprise when GG signed him. You’re right, he wasn’t our finest player at the time but he gave it everything. I was at that away game in the CWC in Liege when we won 7-nil and Eddie scored. There’s no way he’d make my all time greatest XI of course but he wouldn’t be in my worst XI either.
Tony and Art
That fucking accursed international break horseshit… I was idly speculating about who we were due to play this weekend, looked at the BBC and realised we were playing…. Err, no one.
So it’s Haverfordwest County at home to Newtown on Saturday for me.
https://youtu.be/R8vl8WxFMXE?si=1Y5NPqi_YqDsGw2B
That was some night. We’d been getting hammered all day on the ferry and then the bus. Plus Belgian beer on sale inside the ground (and allowed on the terraces). I know it was a relatively trivial game (we’d win the first leg 3-0)but it was a memorable night with my mates and the Arsenal end was jubilant. Got back to London at about 5am and went straight to work.
Check out Eddie’s goal right at the end.
As we were coming out we were hearing manure had been knocked out of the CL by Galatasaray I think.
A perfect day!
A welcome break coming tomorrow, France v. New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup. Temperatures in France 30C-36C oof that would be hot on the pitch.
Killroy
Hiya mate. I’m hoping for an Ireland v NZ final (if that’s possible with the draw). If France or South Africa get there I’ll be disappointed. From an ingerland perspective, they’re going to get mullah’ed and Borthwick will be sacked ASAP.
Was just thinking of you guys reading the below link. Buddha has released some long overdue karma with our latest 2nd hand DVD recorder. Just got to hope it works. They sell at £80 but you pay extras and it ends up over £400. When you have no choice, you really have no choice!
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Buddha and I will be having words if it doesn’t work.
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I’m taking the glass half full and will wait for junior to set it up in his room day (2nd lounge).
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Other than that my fav rugby man is Clive Woodward the best England manager we ever had.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/article-12493805/A-tournament-opener-excited-underdogs-confidence-England-overcome-messy-situation-Sir-Clive-Woodwards-World-Cup-lowdown.html
I was going to stay up for the France v NZ match as it could be one of the best in the world cup and a dress rehearsal for the final, although Ireland and SA will feel much differently.
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A great world cup in prospect; just a shame it’s on European time for me where I’ll have to record 🙂 (fingers crossed) and Buddha willing.
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More importantly, if it works I won’t miss any of or Arsenal games.
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Hard game to call this evening and 0215 my time. France historically have had disciple,ine problems particularly in France where the emotions run unrealistically high and has been witnessed in recent years with the violence in the streets. Nothing to do with rugby, of course, rugby fans are mostly intelligent and very into their ales with most having had higher education or at least from ‘B’ upwards demographics.
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That said, the grass roots game in the UK, and I assume Europe is slowly catching up with NZ where rugby legends make up much of the country’s folklore, which is a long term indigenous tradition throughout the country as Killroy found out when visiting the hallowed grounds.
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For those of you who are “not really into rugby” but could be curious with it being a world cup my advice is to wait for the last 8, and then don’t miss a game. For those of you who have a mild interest I’d start at the last 16. Don’t get me wrong the earlier games will have some sublime play in each game or they wouldn’t be at the WC.
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Just that the nearer you get to the pointy end of the competition the more there is to play for, which means elite rugby and wars all over the pitches.
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Make no mistake it will be brutal with extreme, controlled violence and prejudice from the KO to the final whistle, and then like the gentlemen they are, they will shake hands and head for the medics for assessment.
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For me, especially Killroy and KP, TRVL and Marc, who I hope is ok and just busy. Although, KP has local football about 4 hours drive. Still working that one out. 🙂
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And so fellow Gooners, alas we have no games this weekend but only 9 days to Everton and Dyche with hid hand-over-mouth softly spoken tactics to an assistant who really can’t hear properly but nodded all the same leaving Dyche grimacing remembering it’s what he did as an assistant and why he’s such a shit manager, but I digress.
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Knowing the boredom we have to face especially if you don’t like rugby here’s a list and a joke and a song to start the weekend.
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Have a good one LIR:
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Top 45 Oxymorons
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45. Act naturally
44. Found missing
43. Resident alien
42. Advanced BASIC
41. Genuine imitation
40. Airline food
39. Good grief
38. Same difference
37. Almost exactly
36. Government organization
35. Sanitary landfill
34. Alone together
33. Legally drunk
32. Silent scream
31. Living dead
30. Small crowd
29. Business ethics
28. Soft rock
27. Butt Head
26. Military Intelligence
25. Software documentation
24. New classic
23. Sweet sorrow
22. Childproof
21. “Now, then …”
20. Synthetic natural gas
19. Passive aggression
18. Taped live
17. Clearly misunderstood
16. Peace force
15. Extinct Life
14. Temporary tax increase
13. Computer jock
12. Plastic glasses
11. Terribly pleased
10. Computer security
9. Political science
8. Tight slacks
7. Definite maybe
6. Pretty ugly
5. Twelve-ounce pound cake
4. Diet ice cream
3. Working vacation
2. Exact estimate
1. Microsoft Works