August 2016, and I was sitting next to an Italian chum in a restaurant in Northern Italy. Chum, born Italian and Juventus, has for the past fifteen years lived in North London and become Arsenal as well. The company was good and the conversation flowed merrily.
I ask him about Juve’s recent €90M acquisition of Higuain, and he responds quickly and very matter of factly “the loss in the final of 2015 to Barca hurt them badly. They have bought Higuain purely to try and win the Champions League”.
Here we are, and tonight they face Real Madrid going for their incredible 12th victory as Champions of Europe. Juve go for their 3rd.
I’m very much behind Juve, but of course, look forward to a high scoring entertaining finale to the season.
Hopefully an expert or two will join me on the AA sofa tonight and point out a few potential Arsenal targets.
I will be eating pizza.
written by MickyDidit
Arsenal News 24/7
Good start by Juve. Defence looks strong and Dybala is quality
In
Lucky goal for Ronnie but the man is unstoppable
Hi Fred
Hi BR how u enjoying so far
wowwww
What a finish ! Fantastic and the game is real end to end excitement.
None of that awful Merinho rubbish
Wow! What a finish from Mandzukic. Still fancy Juve!
Thanks Erik
If I’d guessed I would have bet on one, maybe two, goals max
So looking good
Fascinating half.
Juve’s central defence rock solid but they have a combined age of 137!
Weird how Dani Alves was such a unpleasant cheat at Barca and yet this season has been outstanding and stopped his antics.
Hoping for a red card, preferably for Ramos so he can’t score a last minute winner.
Transfer targets?. Apart from Dybala none of them would get into Arsenal’s first 11. Maybe a bench seat for Ronaldo depending upon the fitness of Giroud
ha ha nice 🙂
Surely Sandro for Gibbs at LWB
No Fred, Monreal 🙂
Will Sandro makes the bench then 🙂
Will higuain ever score in a final
It’s been coming.
Another unlucky deflection
.
Fred. I hope so
love the little croatian, Modric
How unlucky can get be to get 2 deflected goals
Bum. E´ finita
Glad I didn’t put any money on Juve! Madrid have been much better team 2nd half.
Why take over dybala shouldn’t he take off Higuain
Only guy who could really damage Juve and they do not man mark him off the pitch-amateurish really. And some on here wanted that coach to become the Arsenal coach. Bizarre.
What a disgraceful cheat Ramos is. Winning 3-1 and yet gets a player sent off by blatantly diving and pretending to be hurt.
Horrible man
If Juve paid €90m for Higuain to win them the CL, they have wasted their money. Rubbish tonight
Agree about Ramos
What a complete scumbag and as you say, at 3-1
And some on here wanted that coach to become the Arsenal coach
Seriously, why bother to come on to have a dig at whoever.
Madrid are an awesome team, no doubt
Agree. RM played a terrific game though we would have beaten them if we played like we did against Chavs. Don’t you think?
of course 🙂
I guess I feel most sorry for Buffon
Night all
Morning all.
how good is Zidane as a coach
Hi all I’ve just arrived watching the game an my conclusion is that there is not an English team that is any where good enough to win the CL.
Arsenal need as many as 4 or 5 players to get to the required level. But I also believe that some of that 4 or 5 are in the current squad – but they need to raise the level of their games.
I do not see this happening as soon as year two of ASW’s current contract but I also believe that he can attract the players we need and will therefore sign on for another contract which will be his last.
Terrible incident at London Bridge … the details are just filtering through now …
Just heard about the hopefully no one died
The details are unclear, it appears that people may have been killed and several injured …
it is hard to believe that it happened again
I think police should do everything possible not to kill the attackers, shoot them with tranquilisers like animals, but let them live and suffer. And their families should be held accountable, perhaps that would stop them wanting to go to heaven full of virgins
and as for the ‘we are going to show them we are not scared’ is bollix. I am scared. Not for me for the youngsters in my family. I don’t want them to be killed or be seriously injured. Those injuries are awful – missing limbs, left blind, paralysed…I am sure you all know. I am scared and I am sure many tourists are thinking the same. Those bastard are going to cripple the country
Oh no, not again.
Morning All,
Horrible news from London.
Eddie. I agree about not killing these cowards.
I guess police have little choice – they either shoot the bastards or the bastards kill someone else.
Cease all family assets, blacklist the whole family for finance, visas, education. I don’t believe the immediate family had no idea. And they should make it their business to know.
Can’t agree with that Eddie. I have no idea what is going on in any other persons head. If there is evidence of collusion then the law must be followed.
maybe I am just clutching at straws. I just cannot see the end to this bloodbath. How do you stop them???? when we don’t even know who they are, could be anyone really
We can’t stop them, we just have to hope that somehow their loved ones can persuade them that their religion, as do all religions, preaches love for fellow man, peace and harmony – not the perverted views of a few loonies.
the problem is that they have no objectives other than killing innocent people. If they wanted something in return then there could be negotiations. But they don’t want anything in return, just fucking kill some kids and make others suffer. That’s the only aim, init
Eddie. As with everything …. it is down to education.
I agree about it being education Raddy but it’s also what they “learn” from their Imam’s in their Mosque’s that needs to be addressed. How is it possible to allow hate preachers to continue spreading their vile crap and influencing those who know no better. It’s like any other “cult” the more you hear the same message the more believable it becomes.
My other concern is for the vast majority of Muslim’s as they are wonderful people and are being branded by the few among them.
I have a large degree of personal knowledge as I have known many for years and consider them to be excellent friends.
Mick,
he can dig all he wants, doesn’t change the fact that allegri has gotten more from less than wenger.
As for the muzzies, seems you have a problem over there. Too many of them are nutters. Can’t solve a problem unless you identify it can you.
Disappointing for Juve. RM were the better team in the second half by a quite some. Juve kept coughing up the ball in their own end and higuain had zero support, dybala and pjanic were nowhere close enough.
Until they make discipline retroactive through video ramos and the rest of the cheats will keep doing that crap. He gets suspended for 5 league games because of that and it’ll end pronto tonto.
They’re bringing in retroactive punishment for simulation that leads to sending off/penalties next season in England. Step in the right direction.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DBZwS__XUAERi4Z.jpg:large
Damn
Nearly
Hit the bar Micky
ha ha indeed
I did all that from my mobile. Took pic. Uploaded to twitter. Then I think to safari. copy pasted. Voila. Wrong.
But close
Determined to crack it so I can out do Chas and Eddie in the morning
Cool tree, huh?
Amazing tree. Is it in your garden?
No, not that one, but here’s the thing. Me and her went out for lunch and the one in the pic was in the garden there
We do have one, and bigger, but completely buried by ‘orrible stuff. Next major chainsaw job to clear around it.
Right now, trying to identify a few of these weird conifers
We have some green things around the apartment. No idea what they are but they die on a regular basis and are costly to replace.
Still cheaper than ciggies
I’ve always got a spare chainsaw if you get desperate and need to thrash around behind the sofa 🙂
me and her 🙂
micky – to identify a tree you need photos of the foliage. Then you text it to peaches and bob’s your uncle.
conifers, ivy and brambles are worse than single mothers with wives. EVERY house I lived in in UK had garden overgrown with conifers, brambles and ivy. WHY??
Eddie
Sometimes, to be exact, you need to wait for the fruit on the tree. Took me eight months of waiting to properly identify an oak. Turns out it was a Lucombe Oak (turkey x cork)
Ok Eddie
Can you go straight from mobile photo to blog without going via a laptop?
http://news.arseblog.com/2017/06/sanogo-confirms-arsenal-departure/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook
Some conifers are stunning. Scots/Monterey/Juniper to name three common ones
https://mobile.twitter.com/IwonaN14/status/871403882240516096/photo/2
no, that didn’t work 🙂 I need to try again, it should be possible, cannot see why not
done
install Twitter App on your mob
twit a photo, copy
open blog and press paste (hold finger in the comments box until paste command shows)
oh ffs, that is shocking
“They (the terrorists) were wearing fake bomb vests. A photographer took a picture in which one man can be seen lying on the ground outside the Wheatsheaf pub with canisters strapped around his waist.
He appears to be wearing an Arsenal football shirt.”
Beautiful fence.
Eddie
It’s the open blog bit on a mobile I’m not prepared to do.
See blog, read blog, read comments, easy
Comment? Sign in twice. Forget it. Life is way too short
That’s what I thought Chas
Now that IS spooky
Ok, must go watch film with Daughter
Wow.
Glorious.
Ok, apparently not go watch film with Daughter
Ooo, goody, this looks better viewing. See you in 7:55 mins
superb
save these somewhere Chas, there may be an Arsenal rainy day at some point in the future 🙂
listen you piss taker. The owner of the fence has 2 inch nails, pony tail and sits on a patio with an air gun shooting at birds. I am not likely to complain about the bloody fence, right?
so I spent already weeks trying to cut down conifers, ivy, brambles and repair of what’s left of the thing
micky – go to blog, read your own post. At the end click on replies and straight away you will get a white box saying ‘Leave a reply’, no?
I’m on Season 2 part 8 of Breaking Bad, very good 🙂
No, you then have to “fill in required fields”
Then you have to do it again for wordpress
The whole operation makes me sick
ok, now the film. Hope it has either monkeys or helicopters
Chas your 7:30 video was simply superb, my day just got a whole lot better 🙂 🙂
I’ve started to write a positive post about Arsene Wenger but I’m not sure it’s what folks want to read – should I finish it or scrap it – some opinions would be welcome.
GN5, Definitely continue.
Write it of course
micky – well I am sorry, but if you cannot remember your sign-in details than god only can help you
offski to watch Breaking Bad.
7.30. Excellent. Will watch it again and again
@7:30 is just brill
micky – watch 7:30 at 3:40mins
@7.30
Amazing. Very well put together video!
Morning All,
Papers full of The Ox signing a new improved contract, no confirmation from either party.
Gibbs could join Benitez at Newcastle for €17m
Enough of football.
Any sliders around?
Ahoy Erik
Can’t exchange snaps this morning for a few good reasons 🙂
Early blast off being one of them
Out on manoeuvres?
The clue is in the words ‘blast off’ Raddy, so either they have recruited him as a satellite, or he is suffering without acute wind. 🙂
GN5 @ 8:15
Go for it mon ami — discourse is good for the soul. 🙂
it was a good concert for the victims of the Manchester bombing. fair play to the contributors, including Liam Gallagher and Will I Am, nice
OMG, that is so amazing
will we EVER celebrate the CL cup at the Ems?
https://www.change.org/p/arsenal-football-club-ban-the-sun-newspaper-from-reporting-on-arsenal-football-club
If you stick to 5212 should ox be placed as LWB since Hector is RWB or would he heck black
Afternoon all.
Fred, is it a 5-2-1-2, or a 3-4-3, or a 3-2-4-1, or my preferred reading of the system as a 3-4-2-1 with Ozil and Sanchez as double number 10’s behind the striker?
Ox can play either flank which makes him a useful player.
Not been around much so haven’t said anything on AW and his new contract and how I feel about it so GN5’s positive post on Arsene Wenger is a goer as far as I am concerned, and I will wait till it goes up. No doubt I will have bits I agree with and also disagree with, so should be fun and lots to chew over.
Thanks GB but you will undoubtedly outdo me on tactics so I will steer clear of anything that I can’t back up with stats.
Might outdo you with stats as well GN5 🙂
Has anyone heard tiote has died
Very sad. Only 30 y.o.
Yes very s indeed
Heavy weekend in Manchester at punk bash……
Morning All,
That pilot must be thinking “bugger this for a game of soldiers”
Morning all. Good vids Chas. Obviously I like the tactical chat one. That fellow says at the start that in recent weeks AW switched to a 4-2-3-1? He switched to a back 3, so have I missed something or was that just a mistake on his part?
Where’s GN5’s post??? I am holding back on AW chat till it goes up.
Lots of rumours about Mbappe for silly money. Can’t see it myself. I reckon Wenger and Gazidis in Nice to try and sign Seri. Hope I’m wrong though!
– “Where’s GN5’s post??? I am holding back on AW chat till it goes up.”
It’s a cunning plan, GB, to keep you quiet!! Not me — I always like to hear from the camel’s best mate. 🙂
Where will Kylian Mbappe be playing his football next season?
37%
Real Madrid
13%
Monaco
2%
Man City
11%
Man Utd
31%
Arsenal
3%
PSG
3%
Other
AW trying
– to sign a winger/forward: Mahrez, Turan and Mbappe on the radar
Does that mean, we are:
– offloading either Ozil or Sanchez and keeping a 3-4-2-1 formation;
– reverting to a 4-2-3-1 and will be looking to add steel in midfield?
Again, I am totally fine with selling Ozil for 40 Mln EUR to any team.
Hope no one got impacted by the London attack – I was in London for the week-end but all family and friends are ok.
It’s only 7:00am here GB and I will be working on my post today and then I’ll send it to Chas and he will apply his personal magic. But before I send it I’m going to run it through a series of filters to make it GB bullet proof – although my filters may not have the latest mod’s.
GN5, don’t bother you will never make it GB bullet proof 🙂
RC, what we need beyond anything else (and have done for a few seasons) is a top top 30+ a season forward who can play up top with Ozil and Sanchez behind them. Some are more ready made (your Aubemayang’s, Cavani’s, e.t.c) and some are on the cusp of potentially making that world class jump (your Lukaku’s and Mbappe’s), but represent a greater risk as they haven’t actually done it yet.
With that player and the new formation RC, most of the rest of it should fall into place. The big money needs to be on the CF even if it constitutes 3/4 of our transfer budget.
Chas, that new player is Perez pretending to be someone else who plays at full back just to try and get a game at Arsenal. Something fishy going on there.
Interesting concept Zee about keeping me quiet, but I have to say I will go to any lengths to be heard so GN5 had better be warned. Just looking up flights to Canada now.
Kolisinac joins Arsenal – apparently quite a catch and an upgrade from Gibbs so I can see Gibbs being sold.
For the top striker, I can see your point but given the formation (3-4-2-1) and players we have, what is the profile needed:
– A pacy prolific striker like Aubemayang, M’bappe, Neymar but that would not be so good in the air and not much of a defending force;
– A robust striker that can play with his back to the goal, be good in the air and bring defensive contribution like Costa or Cavani;
– A mix of both like Benzema, Aguero, Higuain, Kane, Suarez
I would be so happy if we signed Aguero 🙂
Cech – Mustafi, RECRUIT, Koscielny – Bellerin, NAINGOLLAN OR VIDAL, Xhaka, Kolisinac – Ozil, Sanchez – AGUERO
Martinez – Jenkinson, Chambers, Holding, Monreal – Walcott, Ramsey, El Neny, Oxlade – Wellbeck, Giroud
Naingollan is 40 Mln – scored 11 goals and chipped in 7 assists
If he comes, we can offload some players at CM
Of all these teams I would suggest that Manchester United punch below their weight – in Europe and of late in the PL.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
Forbes’ top 10 world’s most valuable football teams:
1) Manchester United – US$3.69bn (£2.86bn)
2) Barcelona – $3.64bn (£2.82bn)
3) Real Madrid – $3.58bn (£2.77bn)
4) Bayern Munich – $2.71bn (£2.10bn)
5) Manchester City – $2.08bn (£1.61bn)
6) Arsenal – $1.93bn (£1.50bn)
7) Chelsea – $1.85bn (£1.43bn)
8) Liverpool – $1.49bn (£1.15bn)
9) Juventus – $1.26bn (£980m)
10) Tottenham – $1.06bn (£820m
I do not know how Tottenham and Liverpool are more valuable than PSG or Monaco…It can only be based on TV Rights because in terms of teams and structures, I am not sure how PSG and Monaco are not further ahead in the ranking…
I think that Arsenal is over-ranked , Chelsea under ranked and Man Utd a total blasphemy they sit at the top
Most valuable teams accoring to RC’s science:
1. Real Madrid
2. Barcelona
3. Bayern Munich
4. Chelsea
5. Juventus
6. Manchester City
7. PSG
8. Monaco, Man Utd
9. Liverpool, Tottenham
10. Dortmund, Atletico, Lyon
RC. Madness
You really think that LFC & THFC are bigger than AFC?
And Monaco? With an average gate of under 10k???
How can either BD or AM be a smaller club than Spurs?
However, I notice this is RC science and perhaps has little to do with reality 😀
RC78 – google this article and you will get your answer.
The World’s Most Valuable Soccer Teams 2017
Mike Ozanian ,
Forbes staff
D-Day June 6th 1944.
Upon the 6th of June
Remember them with pride
Men from many nations
Fighting together side by side
Let us never forget
Their bravery and sacrifice
We may have our freedom
But they paid the price.
Fine work GN5.
Cap doffed
All I can take credit for is posting it Raddy, it really moved me – especially as I have a picture of my paternal grandfather and his eldest son in my study – both died within a week of each other in WW11.
BR – totally forgot to put AFC next to PSG 🙂
Gn5 – i just did not agree with the Forbest
Forbest ?
Ramsey has got an enormous arse. Having been married to a Welsher I know it is in the genes
listen you leftie, there is no choice. Who are you going to vote for? Mad Corbyn, limp wristed Farron or racist Nutta?
Good morning alpaca 🙂
Morning All,
Chas. 6.53. Which book? Paul Merson?
“Study indicates that married people are 14% less likely to die from a heart attack than single patients, while divorced people fare worst of all”
feck that, I’d rather have a heart attack then another nervous breakdown
i’d say Ray Parlour
Eddie 8.17. 😀 😀
yes raddy, never mind the heart attack, just keep getting divorced, it is a very satisfying and liberating feeling.
AND I have had no arguments or fights with member of public since I kicked the bastard out 🙂 I am very mellow, where do you buy your sandals Raddy?
Morning all
We have a New Post ……………………………