Yes, it was a pre-season friendly. Yes, it was against Sevilla. And, yes, they have sold their both Centre Backs recently. But that doesn’t take away the brilliant performance of the team at Emirates. We saw some electrifying performance from Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and Martinelli. We get to watch another 75 minutes of Thomas Partey’s sublime football and we get to see calmness of a 21year old William Saliba, who was apparently not ready few months back.
It was brilliant!
First quarter of the match was peak football from boys. We pressed and pressed hard, Saka won a penalty and scored. Jesus scored the next one of a rebound from the GK and scored another one from a brilliant cross from Martinelli. That third goal was so good you can watch it on repeat, trust me. Saka scored another one from a misplaced pass from Sevilla GoalKeeper and we were 4-0 up before it was 20 minutes on the clock. Jesus completed his hattrick, in his first home appearance, in 77th minute before being substituted by Nketiah (EN#14). But we were not done, Martinelli had a run with the ball, similar to the one against Chelsea couple years back when he sent Kante to get him a coffee, which he decided selflessly to pass to Eddie for a tap in. I don’t know if I hate him for not scoring for himself after a very good game, or love him for his selflessness.
All in all, it was a performance we would like to see from boys for the whole season. It’s less than a week now before we start our campaign and if we keep the form of yesterday, we would be in a good run.
Key takeaway? Gabriel Jesus is the answer to our goal scoring problem. Eddie Nketiah has bulked up and looks lethal, I am a bit scared by ESR’s treatment last season after good run of games, and hope Eddie gets his game time to keep his form. Thomas Partey is very crucial for our season, and we need a competition for him if (& when) he is injured. A back four of White, Saliba, Gabriel and Zinchenko looks solid, we need to tie up Saliba before his agent decided to have another dinner with OM’s representatives. Saka has this calmness in him which only a few world class players have, and Martinelli is a CHAOS.
I’m excited! Some more of that, please!
Short one today, don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comments. Pass the website link to your friends and family, bribe them a beer to read LiR because this is the closest place to a fan’s opinion (patting myself on the back, lol).
Been seeing highlights on Saliba of last friendliest. They are there on Utube. Man is calm, got a very quick shooting out for interceptions, his passing is super accurate looks almost a fluke though so consistently , it cannot be a fluke. Roll back and see Saliba performance . It was very similar . That boy was highly rated when Arsenal signed him , so guess he was just marginally less of a defender even then. Was making mistakes at 18 , which is expected.
Then we have to highlight that a Defender’s mistakes are dangerous, since next is the goal. That is why every defender’s mistakes get highlighted .
All said , Saliba was nearly as good as is now ,last year. If so wtf have we signed White when we had Saliba last year ?
Is Arteta sacked yet for this prejudicial and profligate error ?
Got a quick shooting out foot for his pinpoint interceptions…
etc etc
Tongue- cheek from Claudevian post elsewhere.
Thank you Sir , with your leave..
“ “The regime I like is incapable of error” is quite the argument. 8th, 8th and 5th (despite the league’s highest spending and no European games to sap our energy) were actually part of a clever plan, don’t you know, you ungrateful thing? So was taking Arsenal out of Europe for the first time in a quarter of a century. Even the 2 managers that Bill asserts without evidence that the players quit on (a made-up story… Arsene was 5 years past his prime and Emery hit a bad patch, just like Mikel did the year later) managed European football.
The Salisaga. No football for 7 months… oopsy. Sorry, lad, Normal mistake, no? We prefer to offer Mustafi a new deal, buy Mari and White and keep Holding — places that you could have had. But nothing personal. Still deemed not ready after a highly successful half season loan spell? Look we integrated other young players (Sambi, Nuno) and do so all the time. We welcome back other high potentials after loans (ESR). But this one is sooooo special that we…. sent him away again! Wahey! To help Marseilles, not us, qualify for the Champions League. That’s next level clever! That warm liquid is actually rain, Shard. Be grateful.
Look, all parties are now at a point where they can be happy with the outcome. He’s like an elite new signing that cost us nothing in transfer fees this window. He gets to play for a club he has supported since he started following football (thanks, Thierry). A new contract means a pay rise. Arsenal get to lock in value, as Tim said. I suggest that Bill makes time to — for a change — watch some pre-season highlights. Some games, even. And tell us who’s playing RCB, and who’s been shunted to RB. The young man effectively embarrassed Arsenal into dealing with him frontally. ArtEdu dont get to get credit for dicking him around, and HIM showing the strength of character to emerge stronger out of that. His inferior former ball partner Wesley Fofana is several years into a career at Leicester, while he was on loanapalooza. Dont let anyone try to Kellyanne Conway their way around this, or bring King’s New Clothes energy to this discussion.
And can we ease poor Ben White? His name is always going to be sounded, unfairly, in this saga (he didnt buy himself, or set his way-too-high valuation). The brutal fact is that our defence performed worse last season than the previous one, and we actually went backwards in that area, with him, Tomi and Ramsdale the key injections. But that cannot be solely down to him. And he’s a good player. Im happy to have both of them.
This isn’t to continue to knock the manager. It’s to state facts, not helpful conjecture. Thing is, one can say this; and simultaneously feel that ArtEdu smashed the pre-season, and have prepared the team really, really well for the start of the season. Optimism is high. I’m with THW14 on this. “
Hoopah
The major criticism of Arteta / Edu on Saliba isn’t that they put him out of loan it’s that they completely cocked up sending him on loan when they could’ve given him half a season of League Cup & EL matches, even a taste of PL football and then sent him on loan for the second half of that season.
If he doesn’t sign on this is all on Arteta.
I’m no England fan when it comes to the men’s team but it was really uplifting watching the women win the euros yesterday. A spiky, full-on, committed game between two brilliantly coached teams. No booing of anthems, no jingoistic bullshit and a fair result. Ref was poor but both teams gave it everything. I watched it with 5 teenage girls who were enthralled and inspired. A good weekend for football. The women’s game has a really bright future.
Marc
Spot on about Saliba. If he leaves, it’ll be down to Arteta’s ineptitude. Simple as. He has previous. He’d fuck people off in an empty room.
Kroenke
No way Arteta plays Saliba ahead of White even if it becomes clear Saliba’s the better player.
For what we paid for White he should be turning into a VVD type monster – I just can’t see it happening and Arteta won’t be able to admit he made a mistake and massively overpaid for him.
Marc / KP
IMO, fan pressure will get to them. Crowds chanting Saliba’s name every game and he is good in whatever we have seen of him.
Ambarish
But that opens them up to the question of “why did you spend £50 million on a CB when you already had Saliba?”
Of course it’s possible Gabriel will be sacrificed.
Lot’s of rumours that Chelsea are looking to unload Werner, with Lukaku already gone they’re going to need another striker.
I really thought the new owners would look to get the fans behind them by getting their shit together if they don’t do that soon how long before the calls start for Abramovich?
That’s what I thought Marc,I really can’t understand why Chelsea haven’t signed a few more players. They do seem to have a great opportunity to get a world class player in de Jong who seems willing to go to them. Unfortunately for Chelsea it’s the one area of the pitch they are strongest in. I wonder if Auba could turn up there,he will probably be surplus to requirement at Barca. I think Tuchel is unhappy there from his comments,something could snap there easily enough.
Ronaldo causing trouble at utd. Seemingly left OT before the end of yesterday’s friendly. Real test for ten haag. Needs to get him under control or get rid asap. Just like Chelsea though they really need strikers. In 12 months they’ve lost Cavani,Greenwood,prob Ronaldo while Rashford has fallen off a cliff. Their reliance on Martial finally becoming a focal point tells you how poorly provisioned they seem.
All this plays into our hands of course. I even thought Newcastle would have gone harder in the market. City and pool have nothing to fear it would seem. Still,a month of the window to go,once the dominoes start falling there could be rapid movement.
I’d really love to see Olise or Eze at Arsenal if we can shift Pepe. Both are incredibly talented technically but also wonderfully aggressive attackers. In my dreams, Vieira arrives and brings them with him. Then he signs Rice and drop kicks Xhaka over the Emirates from the half way line. And then I wake up……
Have just spotted on Sky News that Chelsea are going to meet Brightons price for Cucurella. Add in Sterling,koulibaly and Gallagher’s return. Maybe de Jong. Prob a striker. They’re still a bloody force aren’t they?
I’ll shut up now and do what I said I would,wait til the window is shut!
“why did you spend £50 million on a CB when you already had Saliba?”
That one’s difficult to answer
Almunia
There’s still plenty of time for ManU and Newcastle to get some business done – I just thought Chelsea’s new owners would want to earn some goodwill. Didn’t the old MD or CEO leave with Abramovich? She was very sharp in her dealings.
Apparently Licas Torreira is seeing interest from Turkey. Fee in the range of 6m. Too little but I would take it if it means we are getting a Xhaka replacement.
Ambarish
It also leads to the next difficult question “if we didn’t need to sign the £50 million CB who could we have signed for £50 in CM?”
Ambarish
Arteta and Edu seriously need to stop destroying the value of players – it’s crazy.
The much maligned Sanllehi got how much for Iwobi? £35 odd million. I don’t think Edu and Arteta have brought that much in in total.
Marc,
Yeah,Marina something ,Russian name. Was very good at her job. That Todd Boehly seems to be exposed for now,lack of nous could cost him.
That’s a very good point about the sale of Iwobi versus the combined income of all the players we’ve lost since. Also should be factored in if we had to pay them off,that should be deducted from any fees received for others. Would naked for horrendous reading. But that’s probably because of Covid, Afcon, Qatar WC, Ref bias,VAR and global warming. After all no-one else is generating money from their outgoings are they?
Forgot to throw in the key words of dodgy agents,deadwood,player power, process,rebuild,project and process. Now,multi million pound wastage excused.
Naked? Make! ( must be the thought of exposing the frauds!)
Almunia
If some of those players had generated fees it could be ploughed back into the squad etc.
The fanboys really are blinkered to much of what goes on around the club.
*Wasted money in sales,millions and millions.
*Huge spend in incomings,many of whom we overpaid for.
*Sinking value of current squad members. Arteta has the ability to collapse players values like no manager in our history.
Leads me to two conclusions.
1. This was a huge financial opportunity given to Arteta that a quality manager would have used to have us challenging again. Not talking about the quality of the top 8!
OR
2.This has all been a financial gamble that the Kroenkes have allowed but not necessarily funded. The club could have taken on debts here that will hold set us back even longer.
Either way,I don’t see the optimism being justified.
“Todd Boehly seems to be exposed for now, lack of nous could cost him.”
It is called American arrogance or bravado we can do anything better. Throwing money at a problem will only take you so far, there has to also be know how and expertise, but most important the Chavs loss is our gain. Still they may pull a rabbit out of the hat on August 31st.
Just in case that name is hugging you lads, I think her surname is something like Granovskaiya. She makes Edu – who to be fair has been pulling some strings this summer – look like the complete amateur.
Unless this Boehly geezer improves the team, he’ll rapidly start to look like Kroenke did when he first bought Arsenal – parsimonious, hesitant and behind the pace required to do good deals. It would be interesting to know the mindsets of Tuchel and the senior players as the season approaches. I sense that some of their swagger might have evaporated.
Hugging? Bugging? Who knows?
I am baffled at how the great Arsenal giveaway has been allowed to continue by the Kroenkes. If they really are underwriting it,then fair play,as the man says,it’s not my money. But if they are going to lump all of this expense onto the club then this is nothing less than financial recklessness. I know nothing about interpreting the club’s accounts so I hold my hands up to my financial ignorance. But I find it very hard to believe that the Kroenke’s are looking on at Artedu’s business model with delight.
People need to realise that we are acquiring a reputation as chumps to deal with. Club’s will target us and our players in the market as the most vulnerable to vulture tactics. And that’s before we get into the discussion on how Arteta will continue to destroy player values because he has been allowed to believe that this model is acceptable.
What do you guys think? Should we just enjoy the money being flung at the management? Or are we silently watching them piss our future against a wall?
“we are acquiring a reputation as chumps”
Ahhh, NO we are not acquiring, but we ARE chumps!!! Just look at the anticipated sales of LT, Leno and others this season, we will get a fraction of what was hoped for. Add to that the dizzying deal of Guen and Mavro and you know we are owning the title of being the EPL chumps. No one takes us serious.
It is to be seen how this will play out on the pitch, Arsenal used to be feared when playing away from home, but not last season, again a trademark of chumps, hopefully we will improve in that.
As far as the money goes that KSE throw at the process, I have a sneaky suspicion that maybe this is a move to increase AFC’s value and possibly a sale may be in the making at least that is what my crystal ball is telling me in my dreams.
The major problem is how the fan boys are re writing the agenda with regard to sales.
At no point until Arteta decided he didn’t like him was Torreira considered anything but a good signing and a good player. One minute AMN was great no he has a bad attitude, Auba scores goals his entire career until Arteta, leaves starts scoring goals again but he was the problem.
And so on.
Feel free to add your “and Arteta fucked that up” on player values!!!
Time for fantasy league set up. Feel free to join –
https://fantasy.premierleague.com/leagues/auto-join/0r2hme
From the BBC’s transfer rumour page…
Nottingham Forest are interested in 24-year-old Dutch striker Jizz Hornkamp, who would become the club’s 13th signing of the summer if he joins from Willem II.(Athletic – subscription required)
No word of a lie. He could be sub Sanogo/Chamakh/Park level, but with a name like that, he has to be worth a punt to play alongside Jesus. Jesus and Jizz – a marvellous parable and a perfect metaphor for life. For me, it’s the way his surname somehow amplifies the profundity of his first name.
Reminds me of when I was in Paris and signed a contract with a Dutch geezer called Willy van der Winkel. People from Holland are sooooo cool.
Anyway, talking in an abstract way about tea bagging your significant other while she’s getting forty winks, there are some seriously thick bastards on LG discussing legal matters. Fucking wankers.
Pedro inhabiting his Nigel persona telling people to up their game… Oh,the irony.
This potential Forest signing has really got me fired up. 🍆💦If they get him, I hope the Forest crew will adapt the ‘winter wonderland’ song we had for Bergo back in the day.
‘Walking along, singing a song’ however is far too tame a line for the song. Here’s a version they might be able to get behind (fnarr, fnarr)
There’s only one Jizz Hornkamp
One Jizz Hornkamp
Scores a goal by the Trent
His ball bag is spent
Swimming in a Jizzhorn wonderland.
Some of you will surely be able to ‘beat’ that. Have at it lads.
TV review
All or Nothing: Arsenal review – Mikel Arteta is like a supply teacher out of his depth
This from the Guardian. Not seen it yet but the reviewer’s headline accords with what I’m expecting. A supply teacher out of his depth indeed. They used to get eaten alive at my Alma Mater. I’m sure Almunia has a few stories about supply teacher calamities.
Just seen the shit that Pedro, the metatetafluffer, has written. TV critic (or any kind of objective critic) he ain’t. It just reads like something from the DotCom and therefore fucking worthless. LG has fully morphed into a club establishment bag o’shite.
Kroenke
One of the posters on Le Gohead put up a comment earlier about the documentary and mentioned not much on tactics unlike the City version – and these fuckers are surprised Pep is a master who if anything has too many tactics Arteta has one lump it into the box!
Pedro has us and the Spud’s fighting it out for 3rd but has also said 11 points from our first 5 matches is good – Palace will be difficult and I’m only expecting a point but if Arteta’s so good the other 4 should be straight wins.
Biggest question of the season for Arsenal is when will the excuses start?
The sub for the Athletic is total worth it. Cancelled it after they sent me a renewal notice because they wanted too much money within seconds got a message back renewal at the discount price I originally paid.
The article about Farcelona and its financing was a superb master piece and I understand now what is taking place. After reading the Athletic you can safely wander off to the LG spin box because you are filled up with reality.
Would love to see Auba play for the Chavs and I know he would make my day because he would love nothing better then stick it to Arteta, looks like that this can become a reality even though I would much more prefer the Barca players that they want to move on stay and insist on having their contracts being honored which could result in very few of their new signings being registered.
What a wonderful sideshow this TW is offering.
Killroy
Arteta is a goal vampire – he takes strikers who have always scored and sucks the goals out of them.
How long before he does that with Jesus?
Marc
If Arteta starts sucking things out of Jesus, there’s only 1 player we can call on…. Yes, I give you Jizz Hornkamp!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YvN5JTYZsGU
Mate you might want to start a little Hornkamp therapy – it just ain’t gonna happen.
Arteta managing to suck the life out of any creative player on the other hand is guaranteed.
I am keeping my fingers crossed for Auba to the Chaves for a dish best served cold, revenge.