It was a special win, special because we beat the current English and Europe Champions; special because we had not won against them in our previous 15 encounters. Also, the fact that they took all 6 points against us last season which turned out to be the difference between the winners and second spot made this win even sweeter.
The score line of 1-0 doesn’t show the true picture. Man City showed fight but we restricted them to only 4 shots in those 90 minutes – least under Pep’s since 2010 going back to his Barcelona’s reign. The stalemate ended when a half-time, electrified substitute Gabriel Martinelli shot was deflected from Nathan Ake’s face to the City’s goal. Ederson was in no position to stop that deflection. It was a lucky one, but luck only favors the brave. We had some luck in our way when Declan Rice did a brilliant goal line clearance in the opening minutes of the game. Gabriel and Saliba made sure to kill the Haaland hype who had exactly zero shots. Martinelli is a chaos and I’m sure is the worst player to play against, in the league. Mikel is learning, he rested Saka and asked Gabriel Jesus to play at RW which everyone was calling for, and saw we needed to shake things up at the left and brought in Martinelli at half time. I doubt a year younger Mikel would have done that.
We have talked this enough but mate it’s happening every week. Mateo Kovacic received a first yellow when he did a late ankle-breaking tackle on Martin Odegaard. It was reviewed and was deemed only yellow-worthy. To anyone else, it was a RED. But that wasn’t the all of it, he did a similar challenge to Declan Rice and was punished with only a foul. It should have been a yellow again, Mateo Kovacic should have been sent off IN THE 35th MINUTE. We don’t know how the game would have ended; may be with a much better score line but when was the last time referee favored us?
The win leaves us unbeaten in Premier League, with 20 points in 8 games. We are 2nd, as Spuds have scored more goals but have the same point tally. Spuds hangover won’t last long, and I’m sure comes the January break, there will be clear picture of title challengers and top 4s.
Right, short one today. Hope you are still talking about the Saliba x Haaland clash because I am and Haaland falling like a pack of cards begging referee for a foul when there was a none, was a delight to watch.
A City was conquered this Sunday. The Bridge is next!
Hi Tony
It feels like an AB v SA final is an inevitability. There’s even a risk both games could be blowouts. The only thing I can see working against that outcome is hubris.
Hi KP
There’s too much at stake being the final where I think both teams will look to attack weaknesses of each other and good luck finding them. The Boks looked a well oiled and drilled squad against the France team who to be fair made few errors.
For everyone’s sake let’s hope it’s a final to remember.
Hi Killroy
Despite your caveat, I bet my entire life savings on your rwc predictions… I haven’t got a pot to piss in now.😂
One of the better features of international rugby these days is that results are a little less predictable despite there being more games. That said, I’m pretty certain Ingerland and Argentina lose next weekend.
Anyone got any thoughts regarding Jim Ratcliffe’s £1.4B buying of 25% of Manure?
Our Paddy says he was sacked by Sir Jim and that Ten Hag is going to have to dig out results to keep his job, as would any manager to be fair, well except Arteta, of course.
Four years in and does anyone really know how we are going to turn up at the Bridge and how we are going to play, right? We’d hope something similar to City’s line up with ESR at 8. One thing Arteta is now is unpredictable, which is all well and fine if the squad understands and can produce quality football consistently.
Not just scraping though as we have for most of our games thus far.
The Chavs away will not be an easy game and Pochettino is beginning to gain traction with his squad.
If Ten Hag get the funds he needs to keep the dressing room onside in January, Manure could well get back in contention for a CL spot.
Finally, Spuds in top spot needs sorting sharpish! That’s the worst sin Arteta can commit: allowing the Spuds to be higher than us.
I, for one, have had enough for it. Let’s hope Fulham can do us a favour Monday night.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0Xe3z5tVfQ&pp=ygUYSGF2ZXJmb3Jkd2VzdCB2IHBlbnlib250
Hi Tony
Check this out from last night. Fantastic game and their best display of the season. Junior and I had a top time. I really rate County’s manager – great communicator and motivator and always able to make tweaks to improve the team. The polar opposite of Arteta! The second goal by Abruzzese is a thing of beauty – left footed, into top left corner and it crashes in off the bar. The kid is terrific. The other lot put up a spirited comeback in the second half. There was even a bit of tension with their fans getting uppity (I suspect most were Cardiff supporters as well given Penybont/Bridgend is only 20 miles from the capital). That ST is worth it’s weight in gold!
Thinking of going to Bala (nice little town up north by a lake) to see them on Saturday or failing that, the dark satanic burgh of Blackburn to watch Cardiff.
I think we beat Chelsea this weekend. They might have really expensive players but there’s a real rawness/callowness to them at the moment. A trip to the bridge these days is at least a much less fearsome game than it was under late Wenger (his 1000th game comes to mind…)
Oh Tony… Your point about Ratcliff. An absolute arsehole. Him buying a stake in a club of wankers like Manure will be a perfect match. He doesn’t have a history of sporting success either. Since his INEOS company took over sponsorship of Britain’s foremost cycling team from Sky, they’ve been really disappointing.
Manure were shite pre and post Ferguson. What he achieved there was pretty impressive in some ways (although I never saw it quite that way at the time… ). He bullied and threatened the rest of football to such an extent that it ultimately won them trophies, many at our expense. If only they’d fucking sacked him a few months after he started.
Hi KP
Thanks for the link looked a great game and well worth the travelling. The number 3 you mentioned has that rocket Stuart Pierce used to have from his left peg.
The lake visit for the Haverford game sounds nice. I think I’d plump for that one also for the photo potential as I’m going to seriously get back into my photography hobby now Hasselblad has made their tech far more lightweight. 100MP you can make 5-meter prints from and still not lose any clarity, sharpness and depth of field.
I’ve been wondering if Saturday evening is going to be a bridge too far. They are coming off 3 wins against Burnley, Brighton and Fulham meaning Poch might have finally turned a corner with his squad where the players are not only listening, but they are also hearing and responding.
The team should pick itself after City:
Reya
White – Saliba – Gabs – Kiwior
Partey – Ode – Rice
Saka – Jesus – Martinelli/ESR
With Rice at 8 we don’t need Zinchenko getting in the way as he often does or his poor defending: Zinchenko is best used off the bench.
If Arteta really wants rid of ESR, then he should play him to up his price. I really feel for the kid and wouldn’t blame him if he joined Willock with the bar codes to guarantee minutes this season.
I think I’ll wait for the team news before predicting because, as of now, I’m not convinced we are going to get all 3 points Saturday, because the win against City was a scrappy affair almost causing Marc to become an alcoholic where it took him 4 days to post the post game suffering the PTSD was so bad having been witness to it at the Emirates.
I mean Marc has been awol for a while now; hope he didn’t have a relapse.
Hope all is well in your part of Wales where it looks like it might get a bit wet from the news.
TRVL
Got any early thoughts on the Chelsea game?
I have a nasty feeling Storm Babet is going to severely disrupt the football if the predicted 4 days of rain starts tomorrow or Friday.
A supercomputer’s generated results being reported in may papers see the PL finishing as below:
Full simulated Premier League table
1st: Manchester City
2nd: Arsenal
3rd: Liverpool
4th: Tottenham
5th:Newcastle United
6th: Aston Villa
7th: Brighton
8th: West Ham
9th:Manchester United
10th:Chelsea
11th:Crystal Palace
12th:Fulham
13th:Brentford
14th:Wolves
15th:Nottingham Forest
16th:Everton
17th:Burnley
18th:Bournemouth
19th:Luton Town
20th:Sheffield United
Have to say I like Manure’s and the Chav’s positions and Brighton and Spuds swapping positions would feel much better.
What I’d like more is the swap between City and us in a reversal of last season. Let’s get real here City have been dropping points indiscriminately recently, and we have been scraping or scrapping wins by the skin off our teeth.
There have been varying reports of us making bids for the £100m player and that £80m or £60m player for the January window. That is going to have Eddie pouting what about my promised time, boss? ‘You’ve had it’, likely Arteta’s reply.
Jesus has no problem because he’s demand with Barca or was, so shouldn’t be a problem finding a home for a player whose best attributes are causing chaos in and around penalty areas, but not scoring so much himself; he leave’s that to those around him. We need a 20+ goal a season 9.
I’m not holding out hope for ESR as Arteta would sell him grandmother to buy new toys in the Jan TW.
So, this new striker has to start scoring from day 1 or we are royally fucked because as with the failing Havertz and Vieira he will keep playing said striker blindly praying and offering deals with the devil for his shiny new 9 to actually score. Kind of how he wanted Jesus to do when he never really did at City.
Who are these sensational strikers? Elite Newbies? Isn’t Valhovic pulling up trees in Serie A? Or has he been black listed for previously turning Arteta down?
Are we going to capture the bridge tomorrow and see the Chavs capitulate? What a nice thought to end with.
Morning all
A pre – pre game post before Ambarish posts his war cry ‘Let’s Up The Chavs’ post. The meatier the better Ambarish. But, before I talk football: a small rugby interlude.
Not surprisingly the ABs reamed Argentina a new one in a masterclass tuition of how rugby should be played. Something the Puma’s can take much from game in some ways, and just have to admire the New Zealand running game; full of speed and invention even from their extremely mobile pack.
England play South Africa tonight and need a miracle to beat the Springbok who are peaking at just the right time. England at their current level are clear underdogs who have surprised many getting so far, certainly me but, every once now and again the underdog slays its Goliath on that day, and march on to the Semis.
Clive Woodward my all time England favourite manager from the DM has this to say:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/article-12655219/SIR-CLIVE-WOODWARD-Englands-titans-fight-fire-fire-ahead-crucial-World-Cup-semi-final-avenge-2019-Boks-mauling.html
Like Sir Clive, when I think of a world cup meeting my mind goes back to 2019 and I remember why it was a time to forget. Yet going back further games between the nations have been closer and full of incidents.
South Africa to win and face the All Blacks in the final as we expected last weekend. For England it’s back to the drawing board.
So, what of this weekend’s football?
Some intriguing games today starting with the Merseyside derby.
Can Dyche bully Pool into giving up points? not a chance! Not for me. Robertson is going to be a big miss for them this season with his arm injury, but Klopp will solve that issue without too much fuss, and a change in attacking tactics could well, freshen up their game. Personally, I hope they miss Robertson as they’d miss breathing. Just saying.
I hope they all fucking walk alone.
Next up before us is City at home to my underdog team: Brighton. I’m going with my heart here and saying De Zerbi is going to give Pep problems and nick a draw. My head says City 3:1.
Then we are at The Bridge. I’m going to stick with the team I feel is going to have defensive steel but enough up top to score enough to win.
Reya
White – Saliba – Gabs – Kiwior
Partey – Ode – Rice
Saka – Jesus – Martinelli/ESR
We know from ESR’s great pre injury period that ESR has a telepathic partnership with Saka, so if Marts is fit and healthy, he should start but at half time, sub Partey for ESR, and let Saka and ESR connect again with Rice can covering the midfield and Ode can step up to false 9. Kiwior can invert and we move to a high line of a back 3.
For the first half Partey and Rice can pivot away with Rice releasing each other at will to make quick transitions and MF vertical carries/dribbles. This is where Arteta has to be more assertive and not play safe tippi tappi pretty triangles that eventually get dispossessed in their final third.
Poch will know what Arteta is planning unless we see Partey at RB and perhaps Havertz at LB. Then it’s into the unknown galaxy brain time. I mean Havertz has popped up in most other positions thus far.
Somehow, I see us getting all 3 points from a ragged game much the same as we witnessed against City.
We haven’t clicked in the way we did last season and questions have to be asked why that is the case? Unpredictability is fine and dandy so long as everyone is onboard at the same time. This is not the case with our squad. We are misfiring all over the park because Havertz and Vieira are not right for our system. Copious amounts of playing time has proved their critics right over and over again.
Quite honestly it’s painful to watch where we are pretty much reduced to 10 v 11 when either is on the pitch. They are mostly passengers, more getting in the way, as LB Zinchenko does in very crowded final third areas, where both very rarely make any sort of impact needed in the game, which would very much be needed against Chelsea at the Bridge because Poch will impose his Chavs on us, which could be a feisty encounter.
Three wins on the bounce with decent football now being played – not great – for clarity, but Chelsea will be tough at home, so, let’s hope we are Arteta at his meanest!
I’ll predict a score when I see the team sheets. Have a good one LIR.
Tony-sorry for the tardiness, I’m in full blown travel mode presently…Vancouver for 4, San Fran for 3, home for a few days, then off to NYC, to visit my son, which will hopefully lead to a Vegas excursion to checkout the Sphere…you’ll want to have a looksee at that venue, if you haven’t heard and/or seen already
we should be fully healthy, so to speak, and as such, with the right tactics, they’re no match for us presently…if we get things wrong we could end up missing out on 2 points…I’m in such a positive frame of mind I’m leaning towards the cup half full side of the ledger, so here goes, 3-1 good guys
TRVL all good and happy to hear of your travels; all very cool places with great diversities and places to bake. 🙂 I’m enjoying a very sticky Thai cross with Big Sur for this weekend that’s been drying for just over 2-weeks. If you’re into photography I’m in the process of getting the X2D-100c and the 907x-50c with full complement of XCD lens that fit both cameras and will be hopefully arranging a Nepal trip for LIR to find the finest temple balls and take pictures. Maybe the other way round will work better. 🙂
I know Vegas well or at least I did way back when. When I take Mrs T on the PCH1 San Diego to Nappa drive, we’ll stop at Vegas and detour to Palm Springs. We’ll definitely do the Sphere and have some fun. I saw Siegfried & Roy back in the 90s enjoying all the pomp and regalia, and still have no idea where the elephant went – smoke, mirrors & holograms, I guess.
Enjoy your vacation and hope you can pick up the game somewhere. Laughlin is a great drive and Vegas by the sea. It was discovered by a pilot who had a regular flight over the Davis Dam. You got sleepy Bullhead City on one side of the Colorado river and a bunch of casinos on the other Nevada side.
https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=laughlin&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
Hurrahs at the end was a cool place to stay. The Riverside used to have a bikers bar – maybe still does. It’s about a 90 minute drive from Vegas, up the I-15 I think.
Eddie is a £100k a week waste of space.
Wrong selection once again has cost us points. Zinchenko can’t defend Jorginho is just past it for the PL.
Arteta never learns. Have I missed anything?