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).
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.