In the words of Peaky Fucking Blinders, we have got a curse. Call it The Emery Curse, or the Emi’s, but we have one.
Last season, in the first game against Villa, we lost 1-0 after they scored in 07th minute and we never recovered. They were coming off of a win at City and they beat us. We did create some chances later on but never converted it. In the home game, we lost 0-2 when we conceded both goals in last 10 minutes. We were just 2 points behind Man City with 6 games to go, and a loss to Villa confirmed our title challenge was over. We needed a win so much at that point and they denied us. I hate them more than Spurs these days. The two losses costed us the title at the end.
Anyways, it’s a new season and a new fight. We take on Aston Villa at Villa Park today in a 5.30 evening kick off.
In the team news, there would be some surprises. Fabio Vieira is most likely going back to Porto on a loan so won’t feature today. Tomiyasu and Tierney remains unavailable due to injuries. We are most likely going ahead with the same team that featured against Wolves. A back 4 of White, Gabriel, Saliba and Zinchenko; a midfield of Partey, Rice, and Odegaard; a front 3 of Saka, Havertz and Martinelli. I would love to see Timber in place of Zinchenko starting today though, he is one for the future and improves our left side by a margin. Martinelli hardly gets any support from Zinchenko and that’s the difference between the outputs of him and Saka.
Gabriel Jesus is also not available as the rumours goes.
Mikel Arteta had to say this in the pre-match conference yesterday,
on how big of a test Villa away is so early in the season:
It’s one of the toughest places to go for sure. We know that, we’ve prepared really well to understand what we have to do to go there and win the game.
on the importance of getting a result against Unai Emery personally:
Personally? I don’t do things personally, I just have the will to win and prepare the team in the best possible way, regardless of who we are playing against.
source: Arsenal.com
It’s tough because we lost both games against Villa in the best season of Mikel Arteta. For the Unai Emery question, Mikel is fooling everyone including himself. He would have sleepless nights thinking how Emery got the better of him and I am hoping he has an answer to that today.
There are some things happening in the transfer window. Forest looks really interested in Eddie Nketiah and we have rejected a £25m and Forest will agree for £30m me thinks.
Fabio Vieira is going on a loan to Porto (from where we got him 2 years back). This one is a strange move, because we have sold ESR already and we would be left with only Odegaard as an attacking mid with no back up or competition. There are talks that the management is very impressed with Ethan Nwaneri and he would deputize Odegaard.
Merino deal is almost confirmed, he will be joining us from Real Sociedad for a £28m free. I have not seen much of him, but we know Rice is more of a #6 and we needed a #8 after Mikel decided to shift Kai up top.
We have also rejected a Wolves move for Aaron Ramsdale on loan + option to buy. We are in a favor of a permanent move for Aaron, and we have already decided a replacement in Joan Garcia from Espanyol.
Hardly a week left, there would be some chaos at the end, lets see how it pans out for us.
Right, that’s all for today. See you during the game.
Roy Keane being loved up about Petit and Vieira.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_To4hBx-Ys
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLNb6IUet0s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gBHnNicOyo
Thwere’s no football for us, so some memories from happier times.
TRVL
Excellent Petit interview. He always speaks well with wisdom and forethought.
KP
Thanks fo the link and I hope County becomes the victorious under dog I will imagine the jubilation post game. Me, I’d find a hotel and get the lads merry in any way possible. In Thailand that has a variety of options……….
In other news it’s a good job we have 7 LBs with Calafiori picking up an ankle injury with Italy.
Remind me again why we have International breaks? Now we have a manager who doesn’t want to sing the national anthem. How the FA must love that…….
Shame we haven’t got a 9 who can score like Petit and Vieira could. Let that sink in……
The Ireland v England fixture in Dublin brings a lot of bad memories from the time those English neo-nazis disgraced themselves. Those cunts still exist of course and were busy destroying already fucked northern towns and cities whipped up by racists and the media a few weeks ago. Right wing, anti-migrant groups are also a much bigger problem in Ireland now as well. That game was a terrible occasion which harmed relations between the two countries and highlighted the very worst about supporting England.
Another reason, were one needed, to reject international football and its jingoism and bigotry.
Carsley was born in Birmingham but played 40 times for Ireland presumably because of family connections so it’s reasonable to assume his personal loyalties may lie with the team in green. He’s made clear he’ll sing neither anthem. It’s his call, but it won’t do him any favours I suppose with the wankers in the FA. In any case, I reckon Carsley must be cursing his luck over the way the fixtures have come out
It all underlines why international football is out of step with the rest of the game. Kane, Grealish and our very own Declan all have strong connections to Ireland too. Relegate the entire fucking business and let Marc’s captains of capitalism fully run football!
New post, after a lengthy wait. I know you missed me 🙂
KP
Haverford County West losing 0:1 after what you said sounded like a close game. Was it hearts in the mouths stuff? Was hoping to see you’d got the win or draw.