Three important games and everyone’s fit

Three important games and everyone’s fit

We have got 3 games left and City have 4. We play against Bournemouth tomorrow, Man United Away and Everton on the last day of the season. City have Wolves, Fulham, Tottenham and West Ham to play. There is only one outcome of this… unless the gods decide to do us a favor.

The only way we can win the title this season is that City drop points (a loss, even a draw would do), and we win all of ours. We don’t need god for the latter.

Everyone’s fit, even Jurrien Timber. But if you are thinking that Mikel will start him in last 3 games of the season when there’s still some hope left for winning the title, and when he has played only a U-21 game in almost a year, then you are wrong. He can turn out to be a better player than Zinchenko and Kiwior combined in that LB position but now is not the time to test it. Lets stick to what’s working.

Chelsea schooled Tottenham last night and Spurs have to play Liverpool next. And I’m sure by the time they play City, they will be out of top 4 fight and hopeless. That’s not a good thing for us, because we needed them to put up a fight against City. However, looking at the sad state and misery they are in, makes me happy. There’s only 1 big club in London and the boys there wear red and white.

2 more weeks left for the season to end, and we are already hearing transfer rumours. It seems like we are open to selling Gabriel Jesus, and Zinchenko. Thomas Partey could leave too. There will a bunch of clearance to fund the CF and a Saka’s back up. Nketiah, Nelson, ESR, Vieira, Ramsdale might be in that list.

Going till the end for two consecutive seasons and falling short by a game, highlights how difficult Pep has made everyone’s life. Frankly, after last season’s collapse towards the end, I thought we would sulk and the players that gave everything would lose the motivation to try again (similar to Leicester’s winning season) but I was wrong. All of them stood up, and played even better. We lost few games that we should have won and those points could have been very crucial now, but that’s not the talk today. Two seasons, neck to neck against the 115 charges and Pep and we are still in the fight is an improvement to our last 10-15 years of football.

If we don’t make this season, we will do in the next. I don’t have any agenda as such for today, I will be back with the match day blog tomorrow.

Note : londonisred.com remains free and we will never go behind a paywall. Adblockers have killed the Ads revenue and we are running on the coffee you guys buy. Every help motivates me to keep it fun here.

187 Comments

  1. Hoopah

    Norg
    Am from India , West coast. Goa

  2. Hoopah

    That persistence,
    Tetsie image massaging…think is Pedro come to shit over in LiR ?

    Used to enjoy his good reading of games he used to go here on LiR….so sad !

  3. NORG

    Hoopah

    I looked up the band you are involved with but have yet to listen to the songs that are on line. Are they based in India or the USA – Philadelphia is mentioned.
    I was in Southern Spain a week or so ago and visited the old cave dwellings outside Granada that were inhabited until about 1964. Apparently the gypsies that brought flamenco to Spain came originally from India over a 1000years ago.

  4. Norg
    I would have been surprised if you hadn’t spent time learning; sounds like you have a really musical family.

    I would think taking up piano in retirement could be quite cathartic if you have patience and wired the right way. It’s why I want a studio in my next house.

    Freddie & the Dreamers now there’s a blast from the past. Were some great bands in the 60s.

    George Shearing always amazed me being blind. Steve Wonder never had the same awe from me. Same with Ray Charles he blew me away. The movie about his life was really good and informative would be remiss of me not to put this classic up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggGzE5KfCio

    My gift is in being able to isolate sound and understand the way the production came together. That same with mixing I instinctively knew how to get the best from my desk and effects.

    There’s a sweet spot from the producer that is at a certain volume where the mix is perfect on every track. No amount of increasing volume will improve the sweet spot from where it’s set. Ears start to clamp when you do that, as the ears naturally know the level they want. Too loud or too harsh set the clamping off.

    Live engineers like me had to get it right or the gig was too much for the fans’ ears. 100,000 watt rigs will do that easily, as will a 10k rig in a small venue, such as the Paradiso in Amstedam now sadly I’m informed is a disco.

  5. NORG

    Tony
    At 18 I was a huge Band fan – They played the Albert Hall in 68/69 – Garth Hudson’s opening for Chest Fever was unreal has his speakers were in the dome – we all thought it was great but listening to you now it must have been a nightmare for a sound technician to perfect. My favourite track is from Cahoots when Van Morrison guested on Pantomime 4%. Robbie and Van had a lot of respect for each other.

  6. NORG

    Robbie Robertson – what a giant he was. I had seen the doc about the Indian nations( North American) before and will watch it again on Sunday morning. Gardening and then watch the match of the (who once were) Titans. I wonder what SAF thinks of the shit show at Old Toilet now – after all he is a Director.

  7. Norg
    When I was in LA with Jason Bonham in around 96 we were recording the writing of his band’s follow album to “Disregard of Timekeeping” the first platinum offering. The single was ‘Change of the Season’ with Marty Frederickson on lead git who went on to write 4 songs for Steve Tylor’s next Aerosmith album. Jason is very close to Slash (after a 18 month bender together) and so many bigs names. In the rehearsal room it was the who’s who of music dropping by to see what Jason was up to. When I met Slash I was amazed at how short he was and rallied Slash’s pic were always shot upwards with his tall hat creating the optical illusion of height. He was born in Coventry not far from John Bonham’s Kiddieminster home. Slash’s parent were concert orchestral muscians where Slash’s first instrument was flute.

    The album name came about when the head of the record label who had been kept waiting by the band for hours went screaming mad at the band’s complete disregard of Timekeeping when they eventually arrived all on cruising altitude, and hence Jason said cool that’s the name of the very Led Zeppelin influenced album, as you would expect from John Bonham’s son.

    The single was a classic where the opening cloud from Speilberg cost US$30K for the few seconds.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgZJHW8a0U0

    Hoopah you’ll like this one.

    I loved Robbie with so many favs I have his complete discography.

    This is one of my fav tracks because it epitomizes all that Robbie is and was.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KP9PNSUME4

    “Music for the Native Americans” CD I picked up from a reservation shop in Palm Springs after spending a day talking to so old Indian people 60 to 80. It was a fun day and the old Hopi Indian said he would make me something if I returned before I left to go back to LA.

    He made me a solid silver and gold bracelet I had to fight him to give him US$300 for it as he said I had a good aura and spirit to be taking genuine in native Indian history. When I was home in the UK I had it valued for insurance cover and they said £1200+ back in 96. Still have it as a prized possession with fond memories.

    Obviously, the Band was special by virtue of who played and guested. Sadly, Robbie passed recently.

    I’ll ask Ambasrish to send something on to you, Norg.

    I was thinking of your Outlaws comment of being crazy fast gits, which they were loved for. When you were weened on Oscar Perterson, Joe Sample and so many more the wailing gets would take some getting used to.

    The PAs in this days were Martin double 18 inch bass bins to Martin mids and tops. Desks we only just being developed my Midas Martin and eventually Alan Heath ++++ EQ was limited and noise gates had to be used but hated by engineers if we couldn’t EQ our way out of trouble with feedback or getting the stage engineer to continually turn down the bass player’s amp as they get lost in the sound and feel of their bass thumping them on stage. It’s all about feel with bass players working in harmony with the drummer in the all important song’s backing track.

    I could talk for days Norg……..

  8. Thought this was appropriate for tomorrow’s game.

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-13404623/Man-United-Mourinho-memory-Erik-ten-Hag.html

    I’m not discounting a very worded and confused Manure you suddenly pulling it together to screw with any title aspirations we have.

    I’m expecting a tough game but we should have too much in all departments although it’s a potential point dropping game if we are not at our best, which we should be and need to have Partey with Rice in midfield with Ode. Back four should remain the same with Tomi or Kiwior at LB, NOT Zinchenko.

    Keep Tross the boss at LW as he’s in good scoring form. Gangly Havertz at 9 to con more pens and Saka in his usual RW supported by the vastly improving White.

    I see Rice scoring today. Just a feeling.

    KP
    What are you up to today? Stewarding and fun with your son and friends? Hope so and you get the results this week after Rotherham.

  9. Ambarish could you forward on something to Norg I’ve sent you please, thanks.

  10. Galaxy brain at his very best:

    “Mikel Arteta claims his ‘brain is telling him’ Arsenal will lift the Premier League trophy on the final day of the season… as he praises kite-flying Fulham for important ‘team bonding’ exercise ahead of Man City test”

    Knowing El B he’ll want the planned victory bus tour for a 2nd place kumbya party.

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-13404367/Mikel-Arteta-not-fazed-Man-Uniteds-Erik-ten-Hag-bringing-refereeing-calls-Arsenals-victory-September-ahead-crucial-clash-Gunners-title-hopes.html

  11. Norg
    Here’s a Band gig I’ve been playing in my office this morning. It’s a restored version but the roughness fits the era: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_whFGulmKbU

    After the garden and the game, maybe play with a snifter of what makes you happy. Mine is herbal but good grain or potato makes fine alcohol for the connoisseurs.

    I believe Marc is a hops man and KP a top shelf where possible having globally sampled much and many unpronounceable types of knock out juice I imagine?

    Of course if Fulham do the unimaginable then it’s game on and party time and I’d go with this to kick it off: sweet home Alabama & Freebird 1976 Knebworth 23 minute version pre plane crash:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjTjG2rxZ0Y

    A gem to bookmark, Hoopah.

  12. What’s great is when the dueling guitars are in autoplay mode where time is no longer a thing, Van Zant calls them within a cut throat when the piano had previously failed with change that wasn’t followed by the feverish gits all on one including the dancing bass play.

    One of the special moments from music.

  13. Kroenkephobe

    Been a bit busy these past few days but still checking in and trying out these wide ranging musical links. Hoopah – it’s intriguing to hear about the kind of stuff people follow in India. Please keep it coming.

    Only thing I wanted to say today is – if, if, if the unlikely happens, Junior and I will certainly be paying homage in N5 at the Emirates and Islington Town Hall.

    Remember that kid Jimmy Carter who GG signed from Millwall and who we later sold to the bindips?Possibly not the brightest football brain but a hardworking winger nonetheless. Well my flat at Highbury Barn is adjacent to where the bus used to go with the trophy and players en route from Highbury to Islington Town Hall in Upper Street. We were all hanging out the windows of my flat and I had a nice 2 minute conversation with Jimmy C at head height (my flat is on the first floor, he was on the top deck of the bus naturally) as the converted no. 19 bus drifted past at 2 miles an hour. It’s funny how connected I used to let myself think I was to the club.

    Hi Tony – other footie is just about done here for the summer, although I’ll also be following the championship play offs hoping that Leeds win through (controversial I know but we’re usually good for 6 points every season against them) . The PL seems somehow slightly naked without a big club like that.

  14. KP
    We have the Euroes I guess to keep some football continuity and then the TW I hope will finally have us all hugely optimistic to kick off our season.

    Next 2 months here is going to be very illuminating I hope for the right reasons for our PL aspirations.

  15. KP
    Are you still attached to your Highbury flat? I imagine you have many more memories Fever Pitch like.

  16. Ambarish K

    @NORG – I will need your explicit approval to use your email address to forward you what Tony have sent.

  17. Kroenkephobe

    Yes, I always thought I’d spend the rest of my life in Highbury at one stage but that was before Ms Kroenkephobe and the three pendejos came on the scene. I was last in London several years ago watching us beat Leeds in the League Cup. I think the problem is that London is constantly changing and people’s life circumstances change too. I can now never imagine myself back there permanently now which is fine. After I’ve sold it, and settled a rather large capital gains tax bill, I’m going to organise a round the world football road trip for everyone on LiR!

  18. Kroenkephobe

    Keeping everything crossed for ‘one-f-in’ Fulham. They outclassed us at the Cottage so who knows?

    Yeah, I know….

  19. Iwobi & Willian to help us out?

    City haven’t lost in 71 Rodri appearances.

    Forgone conclusion? Probably but there’s always hope even if slender.

  20. Kroenkephobe

    Tony
    I’m watching THE biggest derby in British Football instead. Celtic v Rangers with the title on the line.

  21. KP
    I resisted the urge to invest in BKK and glad we didn’t now. Really too much these days where the north’s snail pace is far more preferential.

  22. The old firm derby, cool. I’ll keep you updated with City who are playing well at the moment.

  23. Stay with the derby KP City just cut through Fulham like a hot knife in butter.

    No way City are dropping points today.

    At Spuds? That would be funny.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *