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!
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.
Hi Almunia very happy to be reading your thoughts again, they have been sorrily missed here. Good to hear all’s well with you and yours and life in general. As for our offspring dating well it’s a worry for both sons & daughters for different but similar reasons/ramifications. You can only go so far with the imparting of the dating game knowledge particularly with SM apps. At least the knowledge is out there you can point them in the direction to read.
Hope to see you here more often, Almunia.
Guy’s my 24yo daughter has returned to the roost with her cat, Pumpkin who .. wait for it.. has a NASA like mini rounded cubical that looks like it should be attached to a parachute after space re-entry. When enquiring facetiously if it was a space toilet my daughter replied with deadpan face, “Of course it’s cat litter cubicle and wifi enabled”.
She wasn’t kidding either and I just nodded incredulously.
First time I’ve had to get in my office since the fun, family chaos. Back to football.
According to Arteta ESR is the all conquering hero returning to maintain and better our current position. Will this be another Vlahovic TW and we end up again NOT buying a 6 or 8?
Arteta goes to ESR once more proclaiming ESR’s brilliance and need to be in the starting 11 after terminally putting ESR down for the last 18 months and not playing him, so we just hope and trust Him to bring the goods again. As TRVL rightly said and I have been complaining for a long time Arteta has no clue to squad management and even less of a clue regarding in-game management.
Well City are rolling again and spanked the Chavs in the cup, but a closer game in the PL, but still closing the gap on us where we look more like more like stuttering than than building a bigger lead. The biggest issue is that same one as last January; mismanagement of our squad by Arteta & Edu and allowed by KSE.
Worrying times ahead if Arteta doesn’t get his finger out and buy MFs.
Probably best with our paper thin squad that we lost to Brighton 3:1 after the 0:0 Newcastle draw. Need to turn this round at the weekend me thinks.
I meant before in the Carabou cup.
Hi Tony
Does that thing also have a warm water bidet and magazine rack? I approve of the name pumpkin by the way. I bet you were pissing yourself when you saw it. It sounds like she’s good to the little furry fella which is the man thing.
What would you and Almunia think of a sentence containing John Lydon and PiL and the Eurovision song contest? Well, it appears that JL and the band are taking part in the contest to see who represents Ireland at this year’s ESC. I think Lydon is doing it to raise awareness and money for Alzheimer’s research (his wife is a sufferer sadly) which is a very good thing. Huge Gooner as well is Mr Lydon.
Tony – Another late one but are you, Junior and the Indian Gooner Army tuning in tonight?
Fabrizio reporting on Twitter –
Chelsea are now in advanced talks to sign João Félix from Atlético Madrid on loan until June. Deal at final stages — no buy option clause discussed. 🚨🔵 #CFC
Fee will be more than €10m with salary covered and taxes. Talks accelerated after injuries and last game.
—
Lol, first Mudryk and now Felix. Reminds me of borat’s words, this is my neighbour he does things which I do but only shittier.
The upside with being drawn to face City in R4 is that whoever wins should win the cup. Tets needs to front up and select his strongest team. Anything else is just an early way of getting your excuses in. FA Cup ticket allocations being far more generous to away fans, Gooners need to get up there and make a some fucking noise. I know I’m getting a head of myself but it’s Oxford.
Ambarish
Another costly misfit I suspect. That geezer Boehly isn’t going to die wondering. Although you could argue that they always have been (!) I think the fans are revolting! Bom boom.
KP
I’m loving it, whatever’s happening with those c*nts.
Regarding facing City in FA cup, if you give me a win in next 3 games against City (2in PL, 1 FA), I will let forget about FA cup and take those 3 PL points.
Haven’t seen our club in contention of titles from ages, lets hope Edu and Arteta understand it and go for the bigger prize.
Again, fuck the chavs.
Anyone watching tonight?
Watched the Barca v Athletico game and João is sloppy. Me thinks we dodged a bullet here. He was sloppy on receiving the ball with his touches, terrible decision making when either passing or shooting and was subbed off subsequently. That match did not do any favors to his stock.
In addition he doesn’t look good going through the middle or playing as CF and I have no idea why the Chavs were interested in him with already many others playing in the same position. But then as already mentioned we are talking about the knewb DOF of the Chavs. In any occasion they are no threat to a top 4 place.
Love the reason why João chose the Chavs because he likes their project. Does he mean playing in the Conference league 😆
This Oxford game is abysmal do far. Sad reminder of Arteta ball from 2 years ago. Ref is fucking hopeless too. A shitshow.
Arteta can’t rotate players so he sticks to the same dozen or so players which means when he wants / needs to rotate the players haven’t kicked a ball in months so are shit which means Arteta rotates even less.
And on and on.
Killroy
Chelsea need a dominant CF – they seem to have got stuck in a situation where if they don’t have a Drogba / Costa type player it just does work.
Marc
And they sold Abraham… Still they’ve also had done terrible big front men over the years. Crespo, Higuian, Torres and Morata to name but a few.
FFS if Saka is not fit for the NLD this is solidly on the Everton Reject. If you can’t trust Marquinios to play against a team that is 58 places below you why did you sign him then.
a few takeaways from today….(1) whenever the midfield doesn’t include Xhaka and/or Ode, even if MA has his “preferred” starting front 3 facing an entirely inferior squad, he reverts back to his early day borefest tactics …for me that’s a byproduct of inept coaching and a troubling unwillingness to rotate players on a more regular basis…the very fact that a player who should have been handing his walking papers some time ago and another, who could be on his former club’s shortlist, are the centerpiece figures of MA’s managerial plans, is incredibly disconcerting
(2) It might just be the anti-winter window Wenger conditioning talking, but the fact that Eddie potted a brace, regardless of the opponent, concerns me from a transfer window perspective…it wouldn’t surprise me whatsoever if we didn’t make the requisite moves, then immediately following the close of the window a few crucial injuries derailed everything…the more I watch the lack of consistency being shown by the traditional footballing heavyweights across Europe, the more I feel like this could be our best chance to actually mount a title challenge…all we need to do is put our chips in the middle and maintain enough of a lead just long enough that City shifts their primary focus to a very winnable Champions League
(3) Vieira needs to be playing more in place of Xhaka in that advanced role
Cheers
Hi K’phobe unless it’s Spuds or City I don’t watch the late games at there moment until I can find a DVD recorder with an internal HDD or USB output for a HDD. They just don’t make them any more. Our TVs are just too old to have the record feature in them, so I’m reduced to next morning highlights at the moment. I can get all the games bar early pre seasons at the time of the games. I don’t normally like cats up close but Pumpkin is different, which of course he’d have to be if my daughter adopted him.
Junior and I will b e watching the United/City then Brighton vs Bin dippers and then the NLD, so hopefully we’ll be able to catch up in real time then with you, Almunia and everyone.
Ambarish, do you know of any software/apps you could recommend? Or genuine online company selling older DVD/Bluray recorder models?
I have just changed my PC monitor to the latest LG OLED in my office, which backs on to Junior’s study entertainment room where the satellite box is. Our 2 routers: Orbi & local ISP router are in my office so using a switch I run LANS to the orbi satellites and Junior’s room.
Sadly Thailand’s sat box doesn’t record. I’m guessing this TV has a record feature to look out for.
The UK’s extra winter hour makes a difference here to where games start at 11:30 or 00:30am. Junior has an auto sleep mode that even if he wants to be awake his lights go out and nothing he can do about it.
Just got my Room finished and the DVD recorder decides to have a UI glitch so we can’t see to select various modes.
Fortunately, doesn’t look like I missed much from the highlights I’ve watched.
We are in big trouble if we fail to sort our MF out this window. Vieira looked wonderful and you can see why we bought him from the Portugal league because when he has time on the ball he does have great vision. Vieira seems unable to cope with the PL pace and physicality but I believe he’ll come good and could be our Bernard Silva as they are similar sized.
Against Oxford space and time for Vieira was at a premium.
Happy Eddie got another 2 goals, but again the Oxford back four were way off the Arsenal passing pace because we passed and passed by the look of it.
See you at the NLD, K’Phobe.
TRVL
Your 3 points outline perfectly the reasons we are in big trouble where unless Arteta & Edu bring in the right replacements who can immediately deal with the pace & and hardships of the PL. They are needed NOW! Not Feb 1st.
I’d add one more point that for some mysterious reason to Arteta we collectively run out of gas around the 60 minutes mark, so we have to use subs or leak goals with backs to the wall defending. Obviously, it’s no mystery, it’s Arteta full on pressing tactics for the first 30 to 40 minutes that drains our players. Half time partly recharges our batteries and by 60 minutes we are struggling with pace and keeping the ball. FACT!
Our problem is our bench bar ESR is not ready for the PL to come on at 60 minutes and lift the pace and take hold of the game.
In fact it’s the opposite.
JF wasn’t special at the world cup, so I was against the loan anyway. How do Brighton keep finding gems like Mitoma?
We need at minimum 6 & an 8 plus if funds permit a versatile ST who can play across the front 3. ESR can release Xhaka to the bench at last.
21 days and counting.
Almunia
What makes me laugh with LG is all the bad boys who were unceremoniously binned by Pedro and his woke pseudonyms get along famously here. Not a word if discord – just interesting thoughts digested by others and discussed and not just on football.
You look in on LG and the infighting and trolling still continues. Shame because there are still a few posters there worth reading. God help LG if Arteta misses out on 4th.
The biggest troll will be Pedro again fighting for his hero: Arteta.
We’ll have a much better idea by Feb 1st guys.
LG & Untold should align as one.
Hi Tony
Good stuff. Highlights from last night are enough I think. We were poor til the goals started raining in. Vieira came alive but looked lost for the first 60 minutes. Oxford dud their bit, the grass wasn’t watered and the pitch was dire. A case of job done and little else. Tets’s lack if trust in players he signed, eg Sambi, Vieira and Cedric add to the belief that – and I hate to say this – our recent success lies more in the Kroenkes finally stumping up the club’s money (not theirs if course) to invest in the team. Now it’s time for the real stuff – beat the Spuds and the rest of January can be faced with confidence. We are FAR superior to them on current form. The players need to be up for a fight but remain tight knit and disciplined. I think their centre half, Romero, is practically unhinged so I’d like to see someone get in his face waving a red rag. We need to take their scummy fans out of the game ASAP and superior technique and organisation can get to work.