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.
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. ðŸ˜
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