Hello, Ladies and Gentlemen! A lot has happened in this year already and we are only a week into it. We beat Brighton comfortably on the new year eve, but then shared points with New Castle in what can be a called a disaster of refereeing. We have also upped our bid for Mudryk but Shaktar thinks we are Manchester United who will overpay for anything and want us to fork a 100m+ for a 22 year old player who has A LOT to prove.
First thing first, we are still enjoying our TOP OF THE TABLE stature. We are only 2 game short of half-of-the-season and sitting comfortably at the top with 44 points.
That’s five points ahead of Man City.
For the next 4 games, we have to play Spu*s (A), United (H), Everton (A), Brentford (H). City on the other hand has United (A), Spu*s (H), Wolves (H), Spu*s (A) and one extra game against Villa at home before they play us at Emirates on 16th of Feb.
Both of our game against Spu*s and United are winnable but are going to be tough. Same with City, playing a Derby has always been a lost cause for them. United for once, can do us a favor, a tough one this is.
Our game against them will be a six pointer. If, and that’s a big If, we managed to beat them, it would not only give us a 3 point advantage against the previous year winners but also instill that confidence among players to push an extra bit for the title.
I’m being too hopeful here but never say never. Not when you are 5 points ahead of the best team assembled in recent years against the best manager on the planet with the best striker in the world!
Coming back to the New Castle game, I would have been happy if we shared points on merits. Refereeing was sh*t and someone needs to do something about it. You can’t grab the collar of a player and pull his tshirt to an extent where he won’t know if he is wearing it inside out! What confuses me even more is the VAR’s role. It was obvious as a day, and should have been a penalty. Arteta made sure he was heard and here’s my middle finger to the disciplinary action being taken against the club.
I am not really in favor of Arteta shouting on the touchline, but hey, that was a cheating and needed to be called out.
I still remember my last year’s article and there is no improvement – Same Old Arsenal, Same Old Referee
Right, onto the Mudryk situation. Rumour has it that we had put up a second, improvised bid which Shaktar thinks is not enough. Well, Edu needs to sit with them and make them realise that we are talking about a 22-year old playing in Ukrainian League. Do they realise that what they are asking was paid for Eden Hazard in his prime who had won everything with Chelsea and was in the top 10 players at that point of time?
And, someone needs to sit with Edu and remind him the priority. We need a Partey’s back up first, Xhaka’s competition and a CF because Eddie alone can’t play twice a week. I know Jesus will be back, but we still need a CF. 3 strikers may be a lot this season, but we are qualifying for Champions League and we would need it soon.
If you say we can use our academy to fill Partey and Xhaka’ position, I won’t mind but where are they? Can we see them having a bit of game time in FA cups and towards the end of Premier League games when we are in a comfortable winning position?
Ok, a lot of frustrations but that 2 points loss against New Castle has rattled me. Lets hope we bounce back and thrash the Spu*s at toilet bowl.
See you in the comments!
Good stuff Mb and a belated happy new year to you and everyone here. You have the site looking very well,really impressive, long may it continue. The contributors here are the equal of any blog I’ve read for intelligence,balance and humour, I hope you are all keeping well.
Tony,
My family are very well,I’m struggling on stubbornly!. Thanks for your best wishes. May I offer the same to you and yours. My daughters aren’t at the boyfriend stage quite yet but I dread the drama! I have enjoyed reading your thoughts and news as much as ever and although I haven’t engaged for a while I am always delighted to hear things are well with you.
Kroenkephobe,
Equally I wish you and yours all the best and I hope 2023 brings much joy to your corner of Wales. I was lost in thought today when I realised that it will be 30 yrs this year since our fa and league Cup double winning year. What amazing memories. But 30 years?? Dear God where did they go? Quick quiz question for any LiR reader old enough to remember, what player was brought on to replace Ian Wright in both the drawn and replayed fa cup finals v Sheffield Wed?Serious credit in the bank to anyone who gets that right.
Really enjoying fa cup 3rd round day. I’m glad I’m old enough to remember when the fa cup final was the biggest day of the footballing year,those who weren’t around missed out on some wonderful memories. KP,are you allowed say good things about Wrexham? Their win today reminded me of their incredible European run(’84?) in the days when winning the Welsh Cup qualified you for the European Cup Winners Cup. The nostalgia juices are in full flow today I can tell you.
Anyway I hope everyone here is well and that the achievements of GG 30 yrs ago pale in comparison with Arsenal of ’23. I won’t tempt fate by saying any more………yet.
Thanks Ambarish. Good piece again. I remember 2 or 3 years ago,the referees’ organisation promising to get tough on defenders holding and wrestling their markers at set pieces. It meant a few wholly justified instances where penalties were awarded. But the habit never got established and the cheating returned. Refs always want to see it as 50-50 ie suggesting that each party was equally guilty. I’m sure teams practice these ‘arts’ in training and managers see a bit of foul play as part of their strategy. If it happens a few times to some northern big dogs between now and the season’s end, there might be another lame attempt next season to change things. The irony is that challenges like that bring yellows galore in the centre of the pitch and tend to get ignored in the goal mouth. Illogical!
Almunia – Hello mate. Good to know you’re still going strong. I agree that Ambarish has created a thing of beauty with this site (in equal measure to the stylistic and content related decline of that ‘other place’ we used to visit. All fine here across the Irish Sea. I’d normally be out somewhere watching a third round game this weekend and the Cardiff – Leeds tie tomorrow (remember that near riot at Ninian between the two all those years ago?). But it just didn’t grip me for some reason. Plus my hearing is deteriorating rapidly which is a proper nightmare.
93 was a wonderful year. Wednesday were there or thereabouts but I thought we’d have the better of them. I remember being properly bevvied in Highbury on the Sunday of the LC win. My memory has blurred but it’s impossible to imagine Wrighty even agreeing to substituted in both the FA Cup games, especially after his heroics a few years earlier with CP. I remember Andy Linighan being an impact sub but Lord George wouldn’t have swapped him for Wrighty. And didn’t Steve Morrow come on and fall victim to TA’s bear hug and throw down? All that aside I’m going for ‘souper’ Kevin Campbell. I’m probably wrong so everyone can call me a plastic gooner!
Anyway, a long-winded way of saying its great to be in touch Almunia.
Like you, I thoroughly approve of what’s happening up in Wrexham. In addition to their exploits in Europe, 3rd round weekend is also a reminder of 92 when they beat us at the racecourse (a properly big old football stadium gradually coming back to life) .
A weird connection between them and AFC – arguably the most important goals in each club’s history was scored by a player called Mick(e)y Thomas. Equally weird was that I was in the Belizean wilderness looking at wildlife trying to hear the match on a short wave radio. The reception was absolutely shite, but I eventually found out we’d lost 2-1. You’d expect a punchline right now about being as sick as a parrot but we were actually on the look out for big cats. Meow! The ups and downs of football eh?
The other heart warming aspect of the Wrexham story is the honest, sensitive and fair way those 2 Hollywood lads have got involved with the club. I think the burghers of Wrexham are genuinely happy with the way it’s going and it would be great to see them back in the top divisions. They’re there or thereabouts.
Barcodes out of FA Cup. Does that mean Sheff Wednesday are better than us after this week’s games? Shock Horror Probe. The early Geordie exit happens every year except that time Anelka single handedly destroyed them in the final.
Somewhere in Riyadh, an Eddie Howe sized hole is being prepared along with a pile of sharp and dense hand-sized projectiles.
Bindippers playing an extra game in the FA Rounds = GOOD Newcastle out means less games = BAD. Them playing city in the EFl cup quarter final means extra games, perhaps even an injury for a key player. The way things are shaping up in the table with Pool & the Chavs CL next seasons looks almost a sure thing.
Now to ensure this we do need attacking reinforcement and cover in midfield. Fuck Shakhtar and Micky Mudflaps. In the Jan TW show some steel and go for other players that provide cover and suits our playing style. This is a cat and mouse game plus it will reveal whether Tets & Edu have added to their ability to get deals over the line. There is enough talent available at our disposal to maintain our 17 game performance in the 2nd half of the season.
Here’s a lazy try at journalistic shit-stirring by the Guardian ahead of tomorrow’s game.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/jan/08/unhappy-memories-for-arsenal-at-oxford-uniteds-old-manor-ground
Steve Perryman! Be interesting to know what you think of John Aldridge, Almunia. I always hated the guy (a genuine ‘calm-down, calm down’ professional self-parodying scouser). I remember him lying on the ground at Anfield in 89 refusing to shake Spider’s hand offered in friendship as a fellow Ireland player. What a wanker and sore loser!
What was the answer to your 93 cup double question?
I’d like to see the Bluebirds beat Leeds today but cannot see it happening.
We should have a competition on here to most accurately guess tomorrow’s starting XI.
Hi Killroy
Too true about the Mudflap saga. Set them a deadline to make an offer and fuck them off. Maybe the Bunga-Bunga in Donetsk is too tempting for Edu.
It was tedious a few weeks ago. I’m now catatonic. It’s weird writing this but I almost don’t care. Not least because we need midfield reinforcements.
TW madness but wait for it…. I read that Unai wants to buy Elneny!
Kroenkephobe,
I’d imagine Cardiff is in lockdown for today’s game, I hope the bluebirds are victorious, have never liked Leeds. There’s a decent number of Leeds fans over here still but they are nowhere near as obnoxious as the fans of utd and Liverpool but I just never developed any fondness for the club. The word grim always comes to mind when I think of Leeds.
No real logic to it.
Anyway the answer to the question was David O’Leary. His substitute appearance in the replay marked his final ever appearance for the Arsenal. Like Vieira would do later O’Leary left on a winning high. The replay actually resulted in a very unusual situation for big Dave. His testimonial was scheduled for the Monday after Saturday’s Cup final. It still went ahead but there was no craic,no drinks,no celebration. It was straight to bed as there was training on Tuesday morning in preparation for Thursday’s replay. I’m sure they made up for it Thursday night!
It’s hard to know what to think about cup runs these days. The importance of finishing in the top 4 seems to have superceded cup glory. For me though this will never be the case. I can remember every cup final,European and domestic,fa or league Cup,win or lose. And the thrill of those days will stay with me always. Top 4 finishes? Important? Undoubtedly. Memorable? Nope. It may be a generational (old git) thing,but that’s it in a nutshell for me.
I don’t really buy into the overload philosophy. There’s a squad available. For every Saka that is tired there’s an ESR, Marquinhos, Vieira, itching for game time. And the momentum created by winning is unrivalled in the creation of a successful team. There’s no rule that says you have to play the same 13/14 players every game.
Anyway that’s my two cents. Will be interesting to see the team for the Oxford game. Looking forward to city/ chelski also. And the masters starts today. Snooker heaven. I backed yan bingtao at the last World championships, am I entitled to a refund??
Hope you all have a good Sunday.
Meanwhile, all the metrosexual posturing fanboys on LG think Tets’s touchline attitude against the barcodes was spot on. Including I guess that thing where he skips along the touchline bringing his hand down from top to bottom in an arcing movement as if to say, ‘stop being naughty – you’re upsetting me! ‘
Howe is hardly Mike Tyson but he must have been laughing his head off. A man who uses hair products, sculpts his eyebrows, and wears polo necked jumpers is ridiculous at the best of times but when put into the context of a high stakes football game makes him look an utter lightweight and a stain our on club. Imagine Herbert, Bertie, Terry, George or Pat Rice doing that back in the day? It’s not OK now either – same rules apply! Pedro is such a ponce and non-Arsenal fan for condoning it.
they are nowhere near as obnoxious as the fans of utd and Liverpool
That, my man, is a universal truth. Once NASA finds an exoplanet with alien life forms, I’ll bet most of them are plastic wankers who support Manure and Liverpool because ‘they win things’. Have a top Sunday. Closer to home, its a massive thing in Wales.
Ambarish/Hoopah/Divyanshu Be good to know whether this is a thing in India too ie that the dodgier people in your social groups/local communities tend to support Manure and Liverpool!
Ooh, one last thing Almunia. They’re not the most demonstrative of lads the Chinese players but all those bans are going to be a big problem. Zhao and Yan are seriously good players. Ah well, it means more airtime for some of the more mundane UK lads like Milkins (hear about him getting pissed up at some tournament?), Tom Ford, Wollaston, and Mark King. Who’s your real tip to win BTW?
“Pedro is such a ponce and non-Arsenal fan for condoning it.”
Quote of the year!
Kroenkephobe,
John Aldridge acquired legendary status over here after an infamous spat with an incompetent official during USA ’94 v Mexico,I think. You should youtube it. He loses his shit on the sideline trying to get on the pitch as a sub. He then went on to score the goal that ultimately saw us qualify from the group on goals scored. Even though it took him 20 games to score his first goal for Ireland he was loved as everyone recognised the horrible task he was given by Big Jack,a lone striker who had to ‘put ’em under pressure’ all by himself. He must still have nightmares about being piggy in the middle. But the scouser parody thing is most apt, he is so stereotypical it’s funny.
I still read Legrove though I haven’t commented in
months. I wouldn’t let one particular group upset me too much. There are still some very intelligent and knowledgeable guys on there and humour is still present importantly. It has changed undoubtedly, but the world is changing in the same way I find. Appearance is trumping reality,people are desperate to be proven right which actually prevents us from learning from each other. It seems nobody can be wrong or offer an opinion that differs from the crowd without being excommunicated for offences against the state. It’s no surprise that a young lad like Pedro who works in that superficial environment of advertising has been lost to the pressures of being seen to be ‘with it’. Its as Orwell predicted isn’t it? Take solace from the fact that you are old and wise enough to see the wood from the trees my friend. I pity those whose every word seems to be penned either to justify themselves or condemn those who think differently. Can you imagine how much stress,how little joy ,there is in such an existence? Like a teenage girl so paranoid about her appearance because society has so narrowly defined what beauty is,these guys are afraid to express an original thought for fear it might see them ostracised from the pack. And so their every word has to edited,sanitised and checked before it can be uttered as they live in fear of not being compatible with mainstream ideology. I genuinely don’t get angry with them ( unless they resort to abuse) I feel sorry for them that they have placed themselves under such pressure.
In Plato’s ‘Republic’ there’s an old guy called Cephalus who explains to Socrates that old people are not to be pitied because their sex lives are now redundant. Instead he says that old people have been “freed from a frenzied master” which I found to be a very interesting perspective. If you substitute sex for social media it’s even more appropriate. Our generation isn’t losing sleep over ‘hits’ or ‘likes’ or any other such superficial means of gauging our worth. We don’t care if people disagree with us. And we don’t spend our time finding a clever way of rephrasing a popular opinion to claim as our own in the hope of a pat on the back. Be grateful for the mind you have,it’s your own and it is free!
If my life depended on it I’d back Ronnie btw,he has by far the easier draw. But I can never shout for him ,gooner status aside, he’s a tit. Mark Allen is poty so far but has a tough draw. Robertson likewise playing well but could easily be beaten today by a resurgent Murphy. So I’m tipping Ronnie,shouting for Selby but fancying Allen as the best bet given Ronnie is 4-1 fav.
Some wise words there Almunia. Not sure I agree with old cephalus on the subject of losing one’s libido in later life… Is there anything else about him that might link his experiences to the awful disease that is encephalitis I wonder?
You sum up LG’s malaise perfectly. It sounds more and more like the AFC establishment’s organ and therefore undesirable and unreadable. If I want unswerving praise for him, I’ll read the DotCom. It’s going in a worrying direction but Ped finks he’s auw-fentic innit. He has an incredible amount of overconfidence and chutzpah for someone who is such an ingenu. LG is an ersatz Sunday supplement of the club’s printed football programme if you will. A million miles from the original ethos of fanzines from which LG and others spawned. And some of those younger lads know next to fuck all about football, pontificating from their sanitised bedrooms as if they’re arselicking versions of current ‘favourite’ Richard hang-out-the-back Keys. Opinions are like arseholes – everybody has one and they’re entitled to them but I tend to ignore the ones from people who are not only arrogant but are also ignorant. A bad combination.
Almunia – get that well worn County Mayo prayer mat out and say a few hail Marys for the Bluebirds mate. I’m pissing up a rope with this one but I’m going for a 2-1 win. Goals from Wintle and Robinson.
The Cardiff game looks like 2 second 11s so will be a bit underwhelming I suspect.
I remember JA losing it in the touchline that time. TV Gold. Didn’t take an expert lip-reader to work out what he was saying. Big Jack was close to exploding as well if I recall. It looked so hot and humid out there.
It seemed there was never a dull moment in the Irish NT at that time (all the way up to Keano and Mick McC). I read that Roddy Doyle story set during the WC – good times.
How old is Aiden McGeady? Still looks the part playing for Hibs today.
Cardiff 1 up. Amazing…. Scorer Jadon Philo gene and my chance to publish this song (to the words of Wacko Jacko’s ‘Billie Jean’
Philogene you are my brother
You’re a kid who’s gonna be number 1
Cardiff City loves you son
2-0! Scenes in our living room.
Wake me up before you go go
It’s 2 nil thanks to Shehi Ojo
That’s a sickener Kp, so bloody close. Still,if Leeds play an understrength team in the replay the door is still open. Cold comfort for now I suppose.
Does anyone have the number of Roberto Martinez’s agent btw? I’ve coached several school teams so he should be able to land me a role with real once Don Carlo goes. WTF are Portugal thinking? We have a great new generation of talent coming through,who has a track record of delivering at this level? Well Roberto Martinez is free and he won fuck all with a magnificent Belgian team. We should get him…..
We’ve just drawn City or Chelsea away in the 4th round.
KP & Aluminia—much appreciate the intelligent discourse, as it’s both wittty and insightful, yet neither require each other to concur on all matters or else… Positive Pete, aka little Jimmy Jones, doesn’t even comprehend how much he’s lost out through his continued compaign of nonsensical conformity…it’s a crying shame, as there are those whom have considerable contributions on offer that are simply lost in the arselicking minutiae of LG life…Cheers to you both on this fine Sunday
So after Monday night (assuming its a win) our next 6 fixtures will be Spud’s A, ManU H, City (FA Cup) A, Everton A, Brentford H and City H.
That’s a seriously tough run of fixtures.
We have a full house today, nice to see you Almunia.
Chelsea are sh*t lol. Potter has a lot to do, why are they buying players like Mourinho is in charge?
Looks like its going to be damaged limitation in the second half for Chelsea.
Unless Pep instructs his players to no do anything more, I think it will be a long night for Chelski fan.
I have a Chelsea-tattooed friend, you can guess how much I’m loving the night.
He is only iterating what Richard Keys is doing on twitter, lol.
Marc
Yep, tough games ahead basically gonna decide who is going to make it. We can beat both of them on a good day, though!
Ambarish
We can’t try and play out from the back against City – they’ll do exactly to us what they’ve done to Chelsea stifle and suffocate the players into a mistake and then they’re straight in on goal.
Agreed Marc. It would be difficult playing 1-1 with them.
Either a counter attacking game or press like your life depends on it. There is no between, against City.
Should we call it a Haaland v Saliba?
TRVL/Mb/Marc,
Hey lads,how’s tricks? Marc ,that’s one daunting run of fixtures alright,make or break stuff in terms of the title. Top 4 is a given for me,we may never have as good a chance at winning the title again. Newcastle, utd,pool will all get stronger,Chelski can’t get worse and City are going nowhere. It would be a travesty to fail for the sake of a player or two in this window.
City on fire here but I have sympathy for Potter. They have managed to assemble so many expensive misfits in one squad it’s unreal,epitomised by havertz. Interesting to see what Potter does if given time,though it’s by no means certain he will be.
Ambarish
I’m not holding out a huge amount of hope to be honest.
# more appropriate to say City aren’t going away anytime soon as opposed to they’re going nowhere!
Almunia
I’m good mate – you?
Agree Chelsea have a really unbalanced squad – there’s talent in there I’m just not sure its the right talent in the right places.
If they have any sense they’ll right off this season (10 points off top 4 already with Liverpool and the Spud’s both chasing) and give Potter a chance to start building a team for next season.
Its a strange time at the moment – Liverpool, Spud’s, ManU and Chelsea are in all a rebuild mode and with Newcastle now close to becoming a permanent fixture in the top 4 that’s going to leave 2 other spaces after City for Arsenal plus those 4 teams.
5 does not go into 2 whichever way you look at it.
Exactly, I mean what makes anyone think it’s gonna get easy next year? Chelsea can’t do any worse, New Castle will buy more, United will improve, Liverpool won’t have two sh*t seasons in a row, City is well City.
If you get two players for 100m and they take you over the line, no complaints from me.
Ambarish
I’m not sure about Liverpool – there’s some serious work to be done there. Their midfield is awful and they have a click of players all close to hitting the age brick wall including Salah.
Agree about Liverpool,only Spurs are as fragile long term as they are. Klopp leaving would be a big blow,he’s irreplaceable. Peak Salah is also gone forever. He was also irreplaceable. Huge money spent on jota,Luiz,nunez and Salah’s new contract but the holes in midfield are still there. And that’s without mentioning an aging VVD who is increasingly injury prone and also irreplaceable.
Spuds reliance on Kane and Son is well documented and their failure to bed in alternatives or attract quality players in other positions while they were relatively strong will come back to haunt them. We know how difficult it is to get quality players when the image of title challengers fades.
Marc,
I’m doing ok,how are you? Hope all is well. Your loyalty in holding on to your season ticket could yet present you with a real’ I was there’ moment at the end of the season. Fingers crossed.
this is when several pieces of misplaced business come home to roost….imagine what might have been if clear and more experienced heads had previaled, when some real coin was finally made available…White, Lokonga, the re-upping of Xhaka, the mismanaging of our RB situation, our mishandling of the Keeper scenario, even though I do like Ramsdale, and the lack of confidence shown towards our blue chippers when we should have been in a full-blown rebuilding mode…fact is, we can’t look this MF gift horse in the mouth, so the dollars must be spent in this window for not one but 2 individuals who can have an impact in the now and the later…if this requires us to ship the likes of TIerney, god willing he remain healthy enough to retain some market value, or Eddie or even a White and/or a Gabriel to raise funds, come the summer, so be it…if we don’t spend and we experience a dropoff, then we all of a sudden are losing Saka, selling Marts and/or ESR, in the offseason, that would be an organizational shit show…the time is now, so no more Cech-settling windows
Yes… We are happy that we are table topper..and we (As an Arsenal Fan) hope that this position will continue for us…
Now our next match with Oxford Unt…We have to win this match with good points with hard work and team effort to maintain our table postion…but we need the most important thing in the match is REFEREE…We need a genuine decision from Referee to the best on ground..so that he is not seen as our enemy in the game…
Everything else our boys will do…Afterall we’re ARSENAL ❣️
My suggested eleven
Turner
Cedric
Tomi
Holding
Tierney
Lokonga
Elneny
ESR
Marquinhos
Eddie
Vieira
And I’d rather the bench was full of young tyros rather than first teamers as an insurance policy. This set up should surely be enough to get to the 4th round.
I know it’s hubristic but it would be optimal to be a few goals up by the 60th minute and then see some of the younger players. This team should treat the game as if it was a PL game and start like a train and press the living daylights out if Oxford. Tets should tell them they’re fighting for their place.
I get the reason behind that white kit but there ought to be other ways the club can bring the horrors of youth violence to the fore.