Well, we all knew we weren’t a match to Man City with their 33-goal scorer Haaland and the best midfielder on the planet in Kevin De Bruyne. But no one expected that we won’t show up for a fight. In the title race when a win was a 6 pointer, we lost and we lost badly. A 4-1 score is as bad as it gets, but the way we played it could have been worse.
So, where did it go wrong? As a starter, Arteta failed to adjust to the Pep’s tactics. Their first goal was a result of the free space De Bruyne was enjoying between our midfield and defence. In the first 30min, it happened couple of times when the pair of Haaland and De Bruyne were left with our CBs. I don’t think anyone can beat Haaland for the pace, it was a fight to be lost. We should have adapted, we should have dropped down and closed the space . We could have switched back to back 3 and fight on counters.
Second, we stuck to the playing XI which didn’t work against Liverpool, West Ham, and Southampton. Yes, Xhaka was back in place of Vieira but it doesn’t make any difference. Both are poor! If you say what options we had, I would like to point out that it’s our own doing. We haven’t been polishing the bench. We gave Vieira couple of matches in spite of his poor performance in his first, but we didn’t try an ESR. We haven’t tried a Partey + Jorginho midfield pairing. Saka looked knackered but we didn’t see Nelson allowing him some rest. Kiwior was brought into the fold against Liverpool, in last 20 min; I’m sure it wasn’t the perfect time to begin your premier league career.
Arteta’s stubbornness to play his favourites and not adapting to what’s in front, has cost us games. If you expect a player to deliver in 60 games a year, and if he don’t, you switch things up. Jesus might be great in compact spaces and running into 3 opposition players, but where’s the end result? If your CF do not have a goal in him, bring on Eddie. Revert to Trossard at the front who looks more clinical.
I don’t know, there has been a lot of things which we can see is wrong, but our manager sticks to the same old – same style, same player, same tactics.
Here’s the bitter truth. We didn’t lose the title because of this City game. We lost it against Pool (going 2-0 up), West Ham (going 2-0 up again), and Southampton (going 2-0 down at home in first 15min). I understand we are a young team, but young guns can fire too. It don’t matter if it’s your captain, if he is not having a good day, bring on your other no. #10, who saved your career at some point and was considered the next DeBruyne.
I’m not sure how much Arteta will learn from this but I’m sure of this – he is going to spend another 200m to bring some more enforcements, but with this stubbornness and Champions League + Premier League next season, we will have the same conundrum. Unless he buys another playing XI, which is not likely.
Here’s another one – if you think it’s a progress to finish 2nd this season, remember that Arteta was appointed as the head coach of Arsenal on 20th Dec, 2019. It’s been 3.5 years, with half a billion spent on a completely new playing XI bar our academy products. This season has been anomaly, Liverpool is having a bad one, Chelsea are sh*t, Spurs are spursy, and United is going through a rebuild under Tan Hag. If you think allowing 3 years for a manager, only to see him finish second after having a 9 point lead at some point, is considered a progress, then you have very low expectation.
With money coming in for New Castle, Chelsea appointing Poch probably, united getting stronger, Pool back in their form, what happens next? It would be tougher than this season. There will be 2 games a week and more Saliba-esque injuries. Who will we blame? Fixtures? Injuries? Bad weather? Because that’s what we have been doing apparently from like last 10 years.
We need an upgrade. We need an upgrade on Xhaka, whose average performance looks like a world class by his standards. We need a midfield, because you buy all the 50m defenders as you want, but it’s not gonna work if you don’t have functioning midfield. We need a better goal scorer if you don’t have confidence in Eddie. And we need an upgrade on the manager. Learning on the job is not a bad thing, but the pace is too slow for a club as big and as ambitious as Arsenal.
We need courage. We don’t need a captain who goes missing in big games, we have had enough of Ozil for years. We need the winning mentality, not the one we saw against West Ham of dropping performance after going 2-0 up. We need players who make fun of the opposition, on the pitch; who can bully the opposition, who are not satisfied with 2-0 lead at Anfield and want more.
Frankly, it has been a depressing month. We have thrown away the title and there’s no one else to blame. It was ours to lose, and we lost it. I’m angry, I’m frustrated and I’m sure you are, too. I hope the players feel the same, and motivates themselves to make the best of rest of the season.
It’s over for me, but we fight again tomorrow.
You guys are my Gooner family and in many ways keep me sane. Ditto Junior you also help him grow in different ways from his reading of LIR.
Tony – it’s really cool of you to say that. I feel much the same way as you and Junior. I love the idea that you’ll both be exploring ligue une, deux o trois(!) soon.
All of us have a need to get Gooner related shit off our chests for one reason or another and this is the perfect forum. Ambarish has carefully cultivated a gem.
Living in Paris, where I was working 12 hour days and the kids were toddlers, and where its the wanky PSG or bust, I took a bit of a sabbatical. But my junior and I once had a chat about which foreign teams we’d support if we live in France, Italy, Brazil, Germany etc. I went for St Etienne in France – something about the green kit and their fans.
KP, bien sur mon amis.
The studio doesn’t need to make money, which is why it’ll be a success. There’s no time line pressure, so the creativity will flow when it flows. We can take small %’s of songs as payment, then you only need one to be a hit and it pays for all the others and then some. The Gites and eatery will take care of the bambinos’ life time. They will have to have the right work ethics where in doing so will set them up for life.
My health might be complete shite now, but life is good otherwise, so I’ll take that. 🙂
Still got a few years to go here, but time flies at our ages and finding the right place is going to take time anyway.
KP
We’ve been chatting for a couple of years now same with Almunia, and now TRVL has joined the band of Gooner Brothers where Marc was earlier than me on LG. Killroy of the same mind and wit. We’re a good fit.
Junior and I can be the roving Gooner loanee patrol reporting back to LIR. Maybe get some interviews to post on LIR; we’ll get up to something for sure, as it’s rude not to.
Tony-I must admit I picture you in the French countryside in an elegantly refurbished 15th century Chateau flanked by a handful of turrets, with Troglodyte caves on site and a swimming pool with a rare view, which overlooks garden terraces, the adjoining woods and a vast meadow beyond…by day you would hunt for truffles, while in the evening, after a workout in your recently converted dining room cum octagon, you would retire to the lounge, where you could watch anything of your choosing on your wall of tv monitors…after a few years, you would return everything to it’s original condition so that you could maximize it’s potential for tourist expolitation as either a wedding destination or a high-end B&B…at this juncture you would become the eccentric but affable owner who could always be seen in a cashmere, yet manly, robe, with Doc Martins, a bespoke chapeau and a vape pen with an extended Hunter S. Thompson flapper pressed firmly between your molars…vivre et laisser vivre
as a follow-up to my Xhaka-related post late last evening, there’s been plenty of chatter today about his potential exodus…all I’ll say is this, if we allow this player, who has underachieved for the vast majority of his stay, to go on a free, after his contract expires in the summer of 24, instead of selling him to BL this summer, we don’t deserve to be a team of European consequence…considering our wretched asset management record, especially under our present regime heads, this would the cherry on an otherwise shit sundae
TRVL 😊
Some typically pleasing imagery there of Tony in his French milieu.
I’ve always thought of Tony in my mind’s eye as being a tougher and even less compromising version of Peter Grant, the erstwhile Led Zeppelin manager. Great bloke to have as a mate but someone you shouldn’t cross. Posing by his pool on the French riviera wearing a gold lame smoking jacket and matching budgie smugglers with half a dozen blue rinse killer poodles (and a recently imported and therefore jet-lagged pumpkin) lying primed to kill in the Mediterranean chaleur. All the while puffing on a massive and illegal Cuban cigar or a Camberwell carrot. His eyes alert and calculating but looking fashionably bored and cool as fuck.
Tony – put Vera and me out of our misery… Which version is nearest the truth?
TRVL
Xhaka:
Cost £35 million
Salary over 6 seasons £30 odd million
Could’ve sold for £20 odd million
Could’ve sold for £15 odd million
Cost us CL football for 5 odd seasons cost £250 million plus
Total cost £350 odd million.
Now someone tell me how good he is?
KP-I feel like your Rick Rubin/Tony Soprano love child will win the day, as my adderall-aided Stanley Tucci, with a healthy side of Johnny Rotten, might be a less palatable doppleganger option on first blush…Cheers to you for your efforts, as I always enjoy your turn of phrase capabilities
Marc-you know full-well I’m onboard with your assessment, regardless of your tongue-in-cheek creative accounting…why are we paying homage and/or kowtowing to such a historically underwhelming individual…talk about recency bias gone amok…what’s next Arsenal retiring #26 & #52 for all Bendtner’s contributions?!?
TRVL
Ouch… Bendtner…that really should have come with a spoiler alert mate. I wasn’t ready to think about him at this time in the morning. He’s going to stay in my mind now all day, unless I get the absinthe out. 😊
It’s possibly a lazy, albeit positive, trope but one tends to think of Danes as calm, rational and modest people. And in sporting fora as hardworking, sporting winners and losers (well maybe not that racist bastard Peter Schmeichel) . Unassuming but with a steely edge when the boots start flying in. So why the fuck did we end up with Nicky B?
Thanks guys I’ll beat you to it for the Meercat Manor:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX3PXeSqu4U
TRVL
The only “creative accounting” in my comment is the double sales fees the rest is spot on – knock £15 – £20 million off that and you’re there.
Of course I could add he cost us the title this season with his petulant response at Liverpool that brought them back into the game. Win that and we beat West Ham and Southampton.
So actually my calculation of how much he cost us is about £100 million too low.
Marc-I certainly wasn’t trying to chirp you about the whole “creative” gig, I was just making note that it’s difficult to come up with a firm figure…I should have just steered clear, as it’s one of those times when it required a bit more nuanced response on my behalf…Cheers
TRVL
Wasn’t picking a fight mate – I’m serious when I talk about what he’s cost us. He’s been a disaster of a signing, all managers have signings that don’t work out remember Veron at ManU? The only thing that stopped that being a complete embarrassment was Chelsea being daft enough to buy him the following summer but Xhaka’s on a whole different level.
Marc-we’re definitely on the same page…I should have just offered up my support, instead of trying to be “cute” with my words…as you know, I’ve spent a considerable amount of time pushing for his exit and regardless of this being he’s “best” season to date I strongly feel that we won’t ever compete with the best and brightest until he’s been suitably replaced…have a good one
Will Xhaka command a fee of any substance (I don’t think he’s out of contract right?) . If he’s going anywhere other than another PL club or one of the European giants, then I guess not. Whether it’s the numerous and needless red cards, fuckoffgate, that disastrous manoeuvre at Turf Moor or his general standard of play, the guy won’t be missed even by the biggest tettyarselickers.
According to today’s guardian, Chelsea are looking to offload Kovacic. Now he’s a player I’d consider getting in. A defensive midfield quartet of TP, Jorginho, Kovacic and Rice would be formidable in next year’s PL and CL. All assuming we can sell Xhaka to FC xenophobicos in the Greek delta league. Or the rising, defecating spread eagles in the Kosovan championship.
As for Patino, I think he needs more time. The club should try to loan him to a bottom half club. West Ham? Fulham? Or a proper championship team with ambition where he’ll be playing alongside winners. God knows what’s happened to poor Miguel Azeez – they need to get him back on a progressive trajectory too. I also wonder if Lokonga needs another year out. Elneny has surely booked a return to Switzerland or Egypt as well. Fingers crossed.
Any thoughts on what the club will do with a certain Monsieur Pepe?
“Any thoughts on what the club will do with a certain Monsieur Pepe?”
Pay him to leave only to see Chelsea buy him for £25 million 3 weeks later?
Sricking with my childhood habit of shouting for English teams in Europe,so disappointed with events at the London stadium tonight so far. I have,over the years, developed a deep disdain for Liverpool,man utd and Chelsea,but otherwise I don’t mind other English teams winning when it doesn’t affect Arsenal. I’d imagine a lot of English gooners disagree with such a stance.
Rice isn’t impressing but I really like Bowen,he just drifts out of games too often to make it at a top 6 club. Paquetta hasn’t lived up to his price tag either but I think there is definitely a player in there. Wouldn’t pay 100 mil for Rice. Lacks intelligence. He chose England over Ireland!!
City at Everton is probably our last hope. 3 points there and they’ll coast home. Lose or draw and it’s back in the melting pot. It’s the hope that kills you in the end……….
news of the day—reports suggest that both Saliba and Zinchenko will miss the remainder of the season…the former isn’t surprising, as this notion has been bandied about for several weeks now, but the latter is a bit unexpected, in that when we last saw Zinchenko on the pitch he was displaying his immense displeasure with being subbed off…maybe something happened on the training grounds, albeit the aforementioned report indicates that it happened during the Newcastle affair…not that disturbed by the prospect though, as this will give our January signing, Kiwor, a chance to prove his worth, while likewise improving our defensive stoutness out wide, as Tierney’s clearly a better defender than Zinchenko, and hopefully increasing KT’s market value for the pending summer transfer window
it appears that where there’s smoke, there’s fire, as the stories about Xhaka’s potential exit continue to proliferate…today there’s been talk of Edu cutting his asking price in half from last season, when they were ludicrously demanding 26M…surely someone would want someone so “valuable” for such a pittance…maybe Edu’s hoping for some sort of bidding war, can you even imagine??? for the love of God Lever don’t come in with an insulting yet totally justifiable low-ball offer…on a more positive note, it appears as if Xhaka’s wife has wanted to return to the Rhineland for quite some time, so maybe just maybe this journey into the world of footballing mediocrity will finally come to an end…remember Xhaka, happy wife, happy life
Almuniasaynomore-I’m not totally opposed to what you’re suggesting, as I would much rather that the PL received some love/props over other European Leagues…as for the Hammer players you discussed, I agree in part with your assessments…I’ve always liked Bowen’s driven nature, when he’s on his game, but I agree that he’s too inconsistent…as for Paqueta, it’s clear he has some higher level skills in his toolbox, but he’s too invisible in too many matches for my liking, so I see him as an overpriced luxury player…now if you had plucked him off some obscure Brazilian roster for a few million, then I would be happier than a pig in shit, but I very much doubt he will cost a penny less than 50M, considering their initial investment…finally, and most importantly, Mr. Rice, whom I do rate, but just not nearly as much as some others do…I certainly wouldn’t pay the enormous sums being discussed by various media outlets for what I consider to be a one side of the ball above average DM…I’m not a fan of his ability to be a progressive pivot man and I don’t think he’s the kind of shutdown DM that makes him an organizational game changer, so for me he’s nowhere near a 100+M dollar man…Cheers
TRVL
Too many rumours about Saliba not resigning to not worry that Arteta’s giving him the cold shoulder. It wouldn’t be beyond fantasy for Zinchenko being used to playing under a winner to have clocked what’s going on.
The major surprise for me is the club hasn’t sent out season ticket renewals yet – they’ve waited for final league position previously ie in EL, in CL, not even close but 2nd is now guaranteed so why the delay unless they think a price increase can be achieved if we do win the league.
Marc-I’m deeply concerned about the future status of both our starting CBs, as I wouldn’t be shocked if both were sold off, considering their supposed market values and Saliba’s pending expiring contract…funny how Saliba’s value hasn’t even exceeded what we paid for White though, albeit we all know we paid well above the number for BHA’s 3rd best defender…tbh I wouldn’t be surprised if we bought a RB and another CB or two, one being someone of some note, then moved White back inside…sadly, I think it would set us back a year or two if we tried to reinvent our backside wheel, as it always takes some time to get figure things out; not to mention, it would put too much off-season focus on a positional aspect of our club that shouldn’t be consuming so much of our attention…we all know how long it takes for us to get our business done, so imagining this management group trying to juggling so many transfer balls gives me the fucking willies…of course, I can’t help but feel that if MA et al had done their due dilligence when it comes to the handling of Saliba, both at the club and abroad, this situation would be done and dusted by now…karma’s a bitch
TRVL/Marc,
The Saliba story is going to be a lesson in the power of spin. To take literally our best player of the season ( saka a close 2nd for me), who meets all the contrived criteria,young, pl proven,can play Arteta’s system etc,and still sell him because he wouldn’t resign begs the simple question, why wouldn’t he? Instead,there will be no questions but many conclusions such as he has an attitude problem or we should sell rather than lose for free etc. The spotlight won’t be allowed to settle on how our manager has lost such a gem because of his ineptitude when dealing with anyone whose personality is remotely more independent than docile. If Saliba signs it will be a victory for Arteta’s ‘vision’ and the ridiculous wages he’ll have offered will be overlooked as the going rate. We’ve seen it all before.
we’ve just missed the boat on so many asset management decisions, whether it’s about re-upping early or showcasing players before their respective contracts expire or the buying out of players etc…another under the radar cock-up is the Nelson scenario, as after he returned from Holland he should have been sold off or re-upped…now it looks like several teams of consequence are sniffing around, so either we miss out on a decent payday or we stupidly inflate our wage bill simply to save face…of course, this is small potatoes compared to if we were to lose Saliba
Saliba leaving (if it happens) will be 100% down to Arteta. The fan boys are not going to enjoy their own comments about losing the title being down to his injury being thrown back at them when they say “he’s a problem / not that good” etc.
Afternoon all
Some of the click bait is just plain simple madness. What will be will be come September 1st.
Looking forward to the football this evening that should see Newcastle get back to their winning ways and whichever 3pm game is high scoring.
Zinchenko has yet another injury to join Saliba and Pochettino wants our Emi at Chelsea just as we’re offering Ramsdale a ten year contract guaranteeing him top slot. Me? I’d get Emi back. He can be a bit of a dick at times and lacks filters but he’s in the top 3 in the PL for my money.
Really not much else to write at this season’s juncture. Mind you, looking at today’s games, none will be on their hols just yet. All need points so should be a fun day for the neutrals.
These insightful words from a player bullied and ostracized by the generational one’s non-negotiables for sticking up for Leno in the tunnel. Arteta as anal as they come.
“It remains to be seen whether or not Guendouzi would be open to a return to the Premier League with the Hammers. But while the midfielder feels “powerless” at his current situation, he offered no encouragement to any potential suitors on Friday.
In a press conference, as transcribed by L’Équipe, Guendouzi said: “I don’t demand anything at all. I have a contract (until 2025). I have always faced my responsibilities, both on and off the pitch. I have commitments, and I’ll keep to them until the end. Obviously, it isn’t easy to be on the bench, I have always wanted to help the team and you feel powerless. But I can bring a lot to the team when I’m called upon. I will always give everything on the pitch.”
He then added that he had held discussions with sporting director Javier Ribalta. “Yes, I had a discussion with him. It was a normal conversation like many players have with the sporting director or director of football. I have always been sincere, and someone who says things face-to-face. It is always with the objective of moving forward together, before prioritising my personal situation.”
If Guendouzi had stayed Xhaka wouldn’t have got game time except for rotations. We wouldn’t have needed to buy Vieira or Jorginho. How do these chumps do risk analysis? Wet finger in the air test? If Emi had stayed …………….
Someone from here should contact Josh and say I’m going to save you 100s of millions and I only want 10% of a 5 year period.
TRVL, KP, Marc, Almunia, Kilroy we all preach from the same hymn sheet, and I’m too busy these days and wouldn’t be able to help myself from calling Josh, ‘Rodders’ as appears apt considering his oversight, asset management decisions.
Arteta do like him City crocs & Partey? Yup Croc! Tomi? Yup Croc! Vieira? No Croc only powder puff player! Lakonga? not now! Tavares? probably never!
When you look at the above only Trossard is worthy of improving us each game he plays and we’ve won every game he’s started. We only got Trossard because he was persona non gratis at Brighton after a De Zerbi fall out.
It is all the mitigating aforementioned points raised as to why I don’t want to make a prize cnut of myself giving logical appraisals of what is never going to happen.
It is here I implore our home grown satirist: Alumina to come forth with a close season belter or I will be consigned to another rerun of Fools & Horses and Alo Alo with junior the latter to keep things current.
Tony
You have to ask why we bought Zinchenko – was it because we genuinely needed someone who could shift in midfield when we have possession or was it because Tierney is injury prone?
Because if its the latter we bought a crock to replace a crock, he’s managed 33 appearances this season how’s he going to cope with a season that has both CL football and a chance of making further than two matches in the FA Cup?
Why would City sell him if there isn’t an issue?
Soccer Saturday having a serious conversation about Mason getting the Spuddie job full time – which is the daftest conversation of all time or no one wants the Spud job.
Mason gets the job full time not only is Kane off (99% happening anyway) but they won’t get anyone of any not to sign as a replacement. Mid table will be a struggle next season.
Marc
My thinking, too. He was going no where at City and he gets too emotional in the heat of the battle. You know the old Kipling Line “if you can keep your head when those all around you are losing theirs” Zinchenko reminds me of that kid. All heart and emotion without a solid base and that’s why he’s been poor lately because he’s been targeted when he inverts and gets frustrated. Arteta is really throwing Zinch under the bus with this tactic by asking too much of Zinch.
As far as I’m concerned Zinchenko is a LM bench warmer and 3rd in line for Left Back. That and he needs his fragile emotions hardened before next season. I feel for the lad with what’s going on in Ukraine but if that is the deep rooted cause of Zinchenko’s roller coaster emotions, he needs to get help for himself first, then he’ll be the player that is in tune with his proficient, technical ability.
If it’s not the war then Zinchencko need to man the fcuk up!
Marc
That’s wonderful news – shall we dare to dream of their relegation?
Spuds losing 0:1 😂👀
Tony
Mason and Fat Frank to be given the jobs for life!
in an article quoting Sky reporter, Dharmesh Sheth, it was claimed that Areta’s primary transfer objectives involved the targeting of defensive-minded recruits, particularly those with considerable CB experience…ironically they then went on to name two potential players on their immediate radar, which included Rensch from Ajax, who’s 20 and has played primarily at RB, which sounds disappointingly familiar, and Sutalo, a 23 year old CB from Zagreb, who has faced inferior competition for the bulk of his career…on the positive side, if this is whom we’re pursuing one can only assume that Saliba and Gabs are going nowhere, as even our management team wouldn’t possibly try to replace what’s presently on offer with these two coin toss propositions
the very possibility that revamping our defensive core or even investing heavily in that particular area of the pitch is the most paramount concern for the powers that be is a depressingly shocking revelation, as we all know that shoring up our midfield is by far and away our most pressing need…with this in mind, the very fact that Wrighty, who’s starting to adopt a more shill-like persona, went out of his way to express his deep admiration for Xhaka, going so far as to suggest “he’s been a brilliant servant to the club to this point” and “he’s turned into the player where it would be tough for us to put a side out where we need anything and he’s not in it”, troubles me deeply…all I can say is that if we roll this back and Xhaka is once again an immovable force when it comes to our starting 11, with Champions League in the cards to boot, I truly fear that we might fail on both fronts
so we can do all the defender shopping our little manager’s heart desires but if we ignore the fact that our midfield includes the one year “wonder” Xhaka, the diminutive and aging Jorginho, an ill-equipped Lokonga, the oft-injured duo of Partey and Elneny, the weak-willed Vieira and the milk carton warrior ESR, we could be in for a rude awakening…that said, hopefully these claims were greatly exaggerated and the real off-season backline objectives involve the re-upping of Saliba, adding some potential depth pieces, who have a bigger up-side than the underwhelming Holding, and making some savvy decisions regarding our potential wantaway LB Tierney and the ever injured Tomi…Cheers
Morning all
Looks like Pochettino is putting pen to paper to revamp the Chavs. Will it be PSG 2.0 or will Pochettino have a free reign and 500m war chest?
The Chavs will be firing enough to be top 4 next season is my thinking along with Manure, City, Us, Newcastle and BHA with a possibility of Villa improving under Emery. Spuds could well be relegation fodder next season if Kane and Son vacate. Levy who is looking more like Del Boy with his decision making with Mason doing a good Rodders impersonation.
Naglesmann will be better than Rodney, won’t he? He’ll cope with Del Boy’s acquisitions well enough and could well stay up next season at a push.
Whatever, Spuds will, be top banter fodder next season.
What about The Arsenal I hear you cry (yes tears of sorrow not happiness)?
Well, that is down to our Accident & Emergency (A&E) manager and Director of Football: Arteta & Edu our reactive warriors.
I asked Junior last night who A&E were going to stumble over and buy in the summer? No idea was junior’s recourse, but he said A& E will get turned down a lot, as it they way in past TWs. Joke of the week was BobN16 said he thought A&E had done well with signings to date. Crocks united more like it.
I have it on good authority using a metric pole of 2 the new WORD will be: Our team have been young for a minute now, so it will be shredded to the bone to be – not the youngest any more – but the most ‘Streamlined Squad’ (SS). This will be sold to us at the beginning of the season in the hope it will be remembered when A&E choke once again at the end.
Our squad will deemed the SS squad. Well, Arteta is very much an incarnation of Die Furer personality and mistake ridden wise. A little under-nose mustache would suit Arteta and make him, so much more fearsome than his dark piss holes in the snow eyes like, long stares nowhere in particular other than for camera optics and one looking pensive and very deep in thought, but in reality he’s trying to remember the wife’s shopping list to get on the way home.
While we are paying to give our players away, as is our want at this time of year, A&E will be missing out on their targets offering a plethora of excuses along the way. Too expensive, calfs not big enough, not emotional enough got play with Zinchenko, too good looking for A&E to handle especially the perfect hair, couldn’t understand our playing identity et al.
No one fcuking understands our playing identity at Arsenal, only the opposition, as it’s flat out for 30 minutes and then deep block because we’re knackered. Rinse and repeat for the 2nd half. Then it’s Russian roulette in-game management and ends up a chaotic scramble A&E nightmare with pulsating football where we’re in control 100% of the time even if they did score 4 goals against us.
So, That’s been our Plan A where our plan B is revert to plan A and drop points and choke collectively. This is when Arteta summons the bus to lay the team under.
Now call me a pessimist or any other mist I could care not a jot! A&E are crock buyers and purchasers of players for 3 years time. Will this summer be any different? I can’t imagine why it won’t be our buying level will be maintained out of necessity of who will actually want to come and play for a choker.
3:3 draw tonight if recent home games are to go by and Did Zerbi wants PL this season. It will be an open end to end game.
See you at the game.
Almunia, any legs in a seance between Hitler, Arteta and Edu & possibly Josh? Perhaps a little of I know Nothing Shultz from Hogan’s heroes as a cross over?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbWmIHhSRvg
Hi one and all. I sometimes pop in to see how the wind is blowing on LiR, usually in the same direction! I appreciate you don’t rate Edu and Arteta too highly. You have your reasons which I understand but don’t agree with. It does mean that you focus on the negatives and explain away the positives.
Tony, you commented (joke of the week) about my view on A & E’s transfer policy which illustrates the difference in approach. I see the positives White, Ramsdale, Jesus, Jorginho, Trossard, Odegaard (possibly Kiwior), whereas you prefer to dwell on the negatives. My confidence is also connected to how well the team is performing and our points total and progression. You could probably argue that we’ve spent loads of money and that Saliba, Saka and Martinelli fell beautifully into their hands- this is undoubtedly true. But when I do have a read of your stream there is a pervading sense that any success Arsenal are having is in spite of Arteta and Edu not because of their efforts. It does come across as a little jaundiced!
Apart from our different footballing perspectives, I do like reading about your lives from a distance and wish you well.
Hey Tony,
I’m defo going to write something before the season ends but I don’t think Hitler will feature! Getting a bit nervous about today. I have hope that Everton could do us a favour and that’s the trouble, starting to open myself up to disappointment.. again!!
Bob N19, I’d spar with you on LG, but I’m too polar opposing for the Pedro brigade to be able to post. Pedro is too weak to allow others opinions whether they are right or wrong. So far our predictions for Arteta choking both times sadly rang true. Plus all the other BS we’ve had to endure for nearly 4 years.
I still don’t feel that Arteta will win a major trophy for us and that doesn’t fit Pedro’s agenda. Half of you don’t know who you’re talking to on LG. Pedro has 4 monikers including conetta who was CC at least, so he can try to control the narrative incognito – only in his eyes, others see his BS. Don, Un, Raulisus and another I can’t think of are all the mighty Don: it’s how he gets away with his racist shit.
I find that far worse than my sometimes over-the-top rants. I’m surprised you haven’t popped in more often, Bob, as you’d find good debate to get into if you could see both sides of the argument.
So far Arteta and Edu have proved us right on virtually every decision he’s made. Playing ESR to get him off the fired list was not an Arteta decision – just a last ditched attempt.
Bob, Almunia’s right, I do luv ya and respect your Goonership; I just differ in opinion to you and refuse to accept Arteta in the way you do. I’ll be back living in Europe in the not so distant future, so will get to CL games and the odd one at the Emirates. I’ll also get to go to where our loanees are on the regular.
Drop the Aicho moniker Bob if’s that you, and come to chat all things Arsenal and beyond if you’re interested in conversing more deeply.
I’ll never be regimented doing the same thing all the time, it’s just not me. Neither of us are wrong, we just see Arsenal differently and LG is the perfect vehicle for you unless you decide reality matters more than broken promises. Doesn’t mean your comments aren’t fair game, as ours are here. Yet I don’t see them popping up in LG. Funny that, Bob!
I hope your preconditioning to lose saves you again this season from feeling the real pain of losing to City because of Arteta’s mistakes. Also, hope your youngest found peace and enlightenment in the Far East.
Come over to the dark side, Bob, if you’re brave enough to talk with the brightest lights from Goonerdom who see things sans agenda other than wanting the best of our club.
Enjoy the game.